


Spitfire Timeline Shenanigans

by FitofPaige



Series: Spitfire [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Emotions, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Smut, Spitfire - Freeform, Violence, all the feels, different timelines, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-06-05 10:51:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6701854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FitofPaige/pseuds/FitofPaige
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>IF YOU HAVEN'T READ UP TO CHAPTER 43 OF SPITFIRE, THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!</b><br/> <br/>This is a collection of one-shots based in the Spitfire universe.<br/># of stories per timeline (as of 6/20/16):<br/>First Timeline: 8 (Complete)<br/>Second Timeline: 2<br/>Third Timeline: 1<br/>Current Timeline: 3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Timeline: The Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the first timeline where the monsters went to the surface and Sans met Alex. At this point, they've been dating for a bit.

You took a long drag on your cigarette, your landlord didn't really like you smoking inside of the apartment, but you didn't do it that often. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

And after good sex, you _needed_ a good smoke.

"I'd offer you a cig, but it'd just go right through you." You winked at your partner.

Sans the skeleton. Around your 5' height and built sturdier than a Baobab tree. You'd been seeing him for a few months now, and sharing a bed with him made you never want to share it with another.

It wasn't just the magical abilities either. The kinky, monster magic play was fun and all, but Sans made you feel things that you had never felt before. The passion he put into sex wasn't just about getting off or getting his way. He paid attention to you specifically, made sure you got what you needed. Every single time.

Of course, that wasn't just in bed. He made sure you were taken care of in your every day life. He was the sweetest guy you'd ever dated, not to mention absolutely hilarious.

"You know me so well." He laughed at your little joke, turning on his side to face you, his bones still glistening with sweat...though you weren't really sure how that worked without sweat glands. You chalked it up to magic.

Sans brought a hand up to run through your short, dark hair. He really seemed to like the feel of it. Every now and then he would come up behind you and play with your hair for a few moments, just to walk off again. It was really cute.

You sighed out a long, happy breath and looked at your lover.

"So, how was it this time?" You asked, wiggling your eyebrows.

He smiled and nuzzled the side of your face.

"Perfect, as always." He breathed, sending chills down your spine.

Usually this would be the time where the other person would ask how much they owed, give you money, and walk out the door. But it wasn't like that with Sans. It never had been. He'd saved you from a dark place in your life shortly after you met, and once he realized what you had been doing, all the shit you'd been putting yourself through, he helped you get back on your feet. You could never repay him, and he didn't expect you to.

"You smell so nice." He whispered, his face at your neck.

You smirked, blowing smoke out of the corner of your mouth. "Even after all that?"

"Especially after all that."

"Dude. I smell like BO."

"I like your BO."

You snorted and gave a light shove to his shoulder. His kind and playful demeanor made you feel bad about being such a bitch to him before. When you first met, you were certain all he wanted was a pretty human girl to have fun with and, well, you weren't wrong. But his idea of fun was a lot different than what you had in mind.

"Hey, you remember me telling you about the timelines and resets?" He asked.

That was a little strange to bring up now. He had told you about his life underground one night after a nightmare had left him in a panicked state. You had basically forced him to tell you what was bothering him. Sans had this habit of shutting out the world around him when something was wrong. He'd either hide away for days, or he'd put on a big, fake smile for the world. It bothered you, and you hated seeing his brother worry.

So he'd told you everything he could remember about the different timelines. You assured him that he could trust you, and you believed every word he'd told you. Sure, it might sound crazy to most humans, heck, most monsters too, but Sans had never lied to you. 

"Yeah." You said, putting your cigarette out in the ash tray beside the bed. You turned to face him, his expression more serious than before. "Is there something wrong?"

He shook his head with a small smile. "No...No, everything is great. I mean it."

The hand that had once been in your hair was now cupping your cheek. You leaned into it, letting out a small, comforted sound.

"I just wanted to tell you that, though I haven't been on the surface that long, I've never met anyone like you." He said. "And, I've never felt like this before."

Your hand covered his and you smiled. "Same here."

He leaned in and gave you a quick peck on the lips before pulling back again.

"You're better than anything or anyone I could have ever dreamed of."

While what he was saying was sweet, and it made your heart swell with joy, the seriousness of it all had you on edge.

"Sans...is something going on?" You asked, your brows furrowed in worry. "Talk to me."

"I love you." He said, his forehead pressing against yours.

You couldn't help but giggle a little. "Well you know how I feel."

"Yeah, but you almost never say it."

It was true. You had an issue with the word "love." It felt like, every time you'd said it in the past, the love that was there had been cursed. You would say those three words, and your partner would leave. They wouldn't love you anymore, they'd find someone else.

It seemed like such an irrational fear, but you didn't want to think about losing Sans. If you told him you loved him, he might up and disappear...and your heart couldn't take that amount of pain.

"I know." Was all you said.

He frowned a little and shook his head. When he met your gaze again, there was a sadness in his eyes. You put your hand on his shoulder, rubbing down and across his upper arm.

"Talk to me, sweetheart." You said softly, trying to coax out whatever thoughts were bothering him.

He sighed and took your hand in his, holding it close to his ribcage.

"I have a question for you." He said.

"Ok. Shoot."

"If another reset happens, if I wake up back in Snowdin and all this shit happens again...If I get back to the surface a second time...Would you want to see me again?"

Your chest ached, hearing the desperation in his voice. He didn't want that to happen, and you didn't either, but it was a very real possibility.

"Yes." You told him. "Of course I would."

His hand gripped yours tighter.

"I don't want this to end..." He whispered.

He looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Hey." You said softly.

He looked up to meet your eyes.

"If that happens, god-forbid, more than once more..." Now your voice was beginning to break. "And you get back up here...come find me."

"You mean that?"

"Yes, Sans. I'm happier now than I've ever been."

He was smiling again, that beautiful, genuine smile of happiness.

You continued. "I don't want everything to reset. I don't want to go back to a life without you...but If I do, I want the other Alex's in those timelines to have these same feelings. I want them to experience this. I want them to be with you."

Sans brought your hand to his face, nuzzling it. A single tear slipped from his socket and landed on your knuckles.

"Alex, I'm not one to make promises." He spoke. "But, wh- if another reset happens, I will come up here and find you."

"Every time?"

"Every time."

You smiled. "You better."

You leaned in and pressed your soft lips against is malleable, yet still bony ones. The thrum of magic still lingered around you, and kissing him just sent more sparks of it through your body.

Kissing him was literally magical.

You felt him let go of your hand and rub his fingers along your side. He'd told you numerous times how much he loved your skin. How soft you were. How beautiful you looked and felt to him.

His sweetness was almost too much to bear, but it felt so right.

Fuck anyone who thought dating a monster was wrong.

He loved you more than any human you'd ever met.

You sucked in air as his hand moved over one of your breasts.

"Round two already?" You laughed.

He laughed with you. "I just can't get enough."

"I'll make sure you never get enough." You purred.

"I'll just have to keep trying until I do, then."

"We'll be here forever."

He winked. "That's the point."

You snorted once again, he always made you giggle like a giddy little school girl, even when he wasn't trying to be funny.

You leaned in and kissed him a little harder this time, wrapping your arm around his back and pulling him closer to you. You could feel the need in this kiss, more urgent than the last.

He wrapped you up in him and rolled over so that you were laying on top of him. You'd expect bones to be uncomfortable, but not Sans.

Once again, probably magic.

You placed your hands on the sides of his skull and kissed him as passionately as you could.

You thought about what he'd said, about another reset happening, and it frightened you.

But what scared you more was that happening without him hearing how you really felt about him.

So with every fiber of your being, you became determined to show him.

"Sans." You said, lifting only a few inches from his mouth.

"Yeah, babe?"

You smiled.  
  


"I love you too."


	2. Current Timeline: Stay - Sans' POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This One-shot takes place during Chapter 22 of Spitfire, “Stay”, (and right before the beginning of Ch. 23.) At this point, Sans and Alex are good friends, but have not established a romantic relationship. (Also, if you have not read past chapter 43 in the main story, beware of some plot spoilers here.)

***Sans POV***

 

Sans had come over to apologize for his outburst toward you at he and Papyrus’ apartment. It wasn’t the best place to live, but there was no reason for him to have gotten so angry with you. You had accepted his apology, but broken down after telling him about your cat being sick. After comforting you, he had decided to stay with you for the rest of the day.

Sans wasn’t as good of a cook as his brother, but you seemed to love the simple carrot cake that he made for you. He snickered to himself again, long after the fact, as he remembered the look you gave him while he was grating carrots he had found in your fridge. You were leaning against the counter, your most recent round of tears only just drying on your cheeks, as you watched him. He had been telling you about a visit to Grillby’s when Greater Dog had gotten overly excited, ran into the back of him and made him dump ketchup all down the front of himself. As he mournfully lamented the waste of perfectly good ketchup to the first genuine laugh from you he had heard all day, he paused in his anecdote and glanced over at you.

With expertly delivered hurt in his voice he said, “Geez Alex, it’s like you don’t carrot all.”

You snorted at his joke. Sans loved how even his stupidest puns could make you laugh.

 

It wasn't long before the two of you were sitting on the couch and you began to doze off. You started to topple over on the cushions, your head slowly nodding forwards and starting back up when you realized you were drifting. He kept a small smile to himself as he watched, not wanting to interrupt. Finally when your chin was nearly resting on your chest he nudged your shoulder.

"Want me to take you to your bed? You might sleep _bed_ -er there." He said.

You smiled sleepily and nodded your head. He scooped you up and carried you into your room, gently laying you down on the bed. He pulled the covers over you and patted your head.

"Night, Alex." He said.

He turned to walk out of the room when he felt your hand grab his.

“Don’t leave.” He heard you say softly.

He looked back at you. “I won’t. I’ll be on the couch.”

He watched you sit up, His breathing hitched as you put your arms around him. As your upper body pressed against his ribcage, he could feel your heart beating hard inside your chest.

“Don’t leave.” You repeated, your voice more urgent this time. You began to shake slightly.

Sans slowly put his arms around you. “Alex…”

“Stay here. Please.”

He thought about what you were saying to him, wondering if you were even aware just how much he wanted to agree right then and there. To spend the night holding you close to him where he knew for certainty that you would be safe.

“Heh...ok. Doesn’t look like I have much of a choice in the matter.” He joked.

You let out a sigh of relief and pulled away, lying back onto the bed. He laid down and you turned on your side to face him.

“Will you still be here when I wake up?” You whispered.

If he had a heart, it would have broken for you.

“If that’s what you want.”

“...Yeah.”

“Then I’ll be here.” He said.

Your eyelids closed slowly and he laid a hand over yours, sighing in contentment as he watched your breathing gradually deepen. Once you settled into a steady and predictable pattern he reached out, brushing a few strands of hair away from your face. Your nose scrunched up as his fingers ghosted across your cheek and he froze, worried for a moment that you might wake up. He fell into silent, shaking laughter at the face you made once he realized that you were still asleep.

 

You had been sleeping for around 3 hours while he watched you. It was fascinating to see your expressions shifting with your dreams. There were some moments when your soul flared and your expression changed so drastically that he could almost guess at what small world you were experiencing.

Glancing at the clock by your bed, he sighed heavily and thought that he should probably be getting himself to sleep soon too. A momentary frown crossed his features as he considered how likely it would be for a nightmare to startle you awake. He wasn’t sure if it would be one of yours or his own. Maybe it would be better if he just napped some tomorrow.

Once again, long strands of your hair had migrated to cover your face, getting stuck in the slight sheen of sweat on your cheeks and forehead. He took a moment, shaking himself awake from the half-dozing state he was in, to fully take in your appearance, noting your flushed cheeks and rapidly increasing breathing and was about to wake you from what he assumed was an unpleasant dream when your lips parted and you breathily whispered his name. It was a sound he thought he might never get to hear in this timeline and if previous experience was anything to go on, he decided that he would just let you continue your sweet dream.

He grinned broadly to himself as your breaths grew shorter and you squirmed slightly next to him wondering exactly what was going on in your head to make you whimper those delicious noises. Every few breaths, his name would be whispered as your eyes screwed shut even tighter and your hands gripped the sheets roughly.

He could almost remember the two of you in a past timeline, caught up in the throes of passion, if only he could have fully kept his memories of those moments.

Your mumbling pulled him out of his entranced state. His eyes focused on you sighing happily to yourself, a soft smile tugging at your lips.

 

“Sans…”

 

“...I love you.”

 

Sans held his breath a moment, not sure if he should let himself believe that this was truly happening again. Even though this was not the first time He’d heard you say this in his entire lifetime, it sure did feel like it.

It always felt like it.

Sans felt you stiffen next to him, your hand momentarily tightening around his own and he quickly closed his eye sockets, relaxing his face with well-rehearsed ease as you woke up next to him. He felt you pause in your alarm, your breathing stopping and oh it was so tempting to just sneak a peek at your expression because he knew. He knew better than anyone would ever believe that right in that instant, you would be flushed and your hair wild with the embarrassed horror he could feel pouring off you in waves.

Any other time, that embarrassment might bother him, but you had just said you love him. He would pretend he hadn’t heard you and let you make the leap in your own time, just as he would let you snatch your hand from his while he feigned sleep so you could rush off and get a handle on your emotions. But he knew. In that moment, he finally understood that here again was another chance at his happiness. At your happiness.

  
With this in mind, Sans would stay as long as you needed him.

 


	3. The First Timeline: LV At First Glance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one-shot takes place in the first timeline where the monsters get to the surface. This is Sans' first ever encounter with Alex.  
> (this one is written entirely from a third-person POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope compiling these stories together into one work makes it easier to keep up with! :D  
> Enjoy!  
> -Paige

***Sans’ POV***

 

The monsters had been on the surface for nearly a year now, finally having been given rights to freely roam the country as citizens. This was the first time Frisk had actually gotten them to the surface, and man was this place huge.

Sans and Papyrus had been able to rent an apartment outside of Ebott city limits. It wasn’t a bad place to live, the neighbors were nice and the landlord was fair. Sans had gotten a job at a hot dog stand in the city park. The pay could be better, but between the two skeletons, they could manage.

One night Sans was walking home from work, waiting to get further out of town before teleporting as to not arouse any suspicious. He was really craving burgers and fries like they had at Grillby’s underground. It was a shame that Grillbz hadn’t been able to set up his own bar yet, as far as Sans was concerned, nobody could beat the fire monster’s cooking.

Well except maybe Papyrus.

As he strolled along the sidewalk, Sans’ gaze fell on a flashing neon sign that belonged to a bar. He’d passed this place every evening, but had never really bothered to stop in. He knew it was run by humans, but he didn’t see any ‘no monsters’ signs out front. He stood still for a moment, debating on going in and trying the food, maybe getting a drink or two. Papyrus was sleeping over at Undyne’s anyway, so it wasn’t like anyone was at home waiting on him.

Curiosity and hunger getting the better of him, Sans entered the bar. It wasn’t too crowded, but there were a few groups of rowdy, drunk people. He walked up to the bar and took a seat on one of the stools, catching the bartender’s eye. The young lady smiled and held up her index finger, signaling that she would be there in a moment.

He glanced around the room, taking in the cramped environment. The bar area was actually quite tidy, with only a few people sitting around at the moment.

The bartender came back, holding a small menu in her arm. She pushed her hair over her shoulder as she leaned slightly onto the bar, placing the menu down in front of him.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you ‘round here.” She said. “Here’s a menu with our food items. The drinks are listed on the back.” 

Sans skimmed over the menu and handed it back. “I’ll have the burger and fries. Oh, and be a  _ beer _ and get me a bottle of that Sweetwater Hefeweizen.”

She laughed. “Sure thing, sweetie.” 

The woman walked off to fill his order and Sans was left alone with his thoughts again.

It was good to finally be on the surface, even if a lot of the humans didn’t take too kindly to monsters, they weren’t all bad. Some of them sure were loud though, like the two girls in the corner of the bar. Sans took notice as one of them slammed a shot glass down onto the bar, letting out a cheer and shouting for another shot. 

The one yelling had short, dark brown hair that hung a couple of inches below her jawline. She wore heavy makeup and had on a pair of short denim shorts and a dark blue crop top. Her friend, who was laughing uncontrollably, had even darker hair that cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. She was dressed a little more professionally, with a pair of black slacks and a light orange silk blouse.

A few minutes later, the bartender came back with his order. When she asked if Sans needed anything else her simply asked for a bottle of ketchup. The look on her face was priceless when he took the bottle from her hand and proceeded to uncap it and take a swig.

“Um, you know you’re gonna have to pay for that, right?” She said, a bewildered expression still on her face.

He sat the bottle down and smiled. “Yeah, no problem, put it on my tab.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but looked too confused to utter a word. After a second she simply nodded and walked off.

Sans took a bite of his burger, it was pretty good, but nothing compared to the burgers that Grillby made. There was just something about using fire magic to cook that made everything taste, well,  magical. The fries were decent as well, of course he smothered his in ketchup so that’s what he mainly tasted.

As he ate, he absentmindedly watched the two girls from before. The one with the long hair was talking on her cell phone while the other was getting cash out of her wallet for the bartender. It wasn’t long before the longer haired girl, who was a good bit taller than her friend, waved goodbye to the shorter girl and walked out of the bar.

Was she leaving her alone in that state? Sans had watched her down quite a few drinks while he’d been sitting there.

As he was finishing up his meal and paying, the girl walked out of the bar. He didn’t think too much of it, but hoped that she’d at least make it back home alright.

 

Sans stepped out into the cool night air. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and started back toward the apartment complex. His mind wandered as he walked, thinking about his brother having fun over at Undyne’s house. They were probably sharing stories, watching movies, just cutting up and having a good time. Sans was happy that Papyrus had someone like that to hang out with. After everything they’d been through, it was good for him to have a best friend that wasn’t his own brother.

A commotion up ahead pulled Sans back into reality. He looked up to see two guys talking to the shorter girl from the bar. He could just barely make out what they were saying.

 

“What’s a smokin’ hot babe like yourself doing out here all alone?”

“Hahaha, shit Derek, you sure know how to pick ‘em. This chick’s already fucked up.”

 

Sans picked up his pace slightly. He wasn’t about to let these two creeps mess with some innocent girl.

“What’s going on here?” Sans spoke up as he approached. The taller guy, presumed to be Derek, glared at him with dark brown eyes.

“This is none of your business, monster. I suggest you keep walking.”

Sans was about to say something else when a blow to the head sent Derek to the ground. Sans was surprised to see that it was the girl who’d thrown the punch. He watched as she turned to the other guy, taking his head in her hands and driving his face down into her raised knee. He was out cold as soon as it made contact. The girl walked back over to where Derek was lying. She knelt down and felt his neck, he must have still had a pulse since she seemed so calm with the situation.

The girl’s chocolate brown eyes met with his and she smiled.

“Hey, thanks!  you served as a pretty good distraction for me to get a hit on that creep!”

“Heh, yeah, no problem.” He said, still trying to understand what the hell just happened.

The girl fiddled around with her pockets for a moment before looking back at him.

“Oh, shit, sorry! I’m Alex!” She extended her hand.

“Sans the skeleton, nice to me-”

There was a loud buzzing sensation against his hand, he looked down at their joined hands before she burst into a fit of laughter.

“Oh, man! I wasn’t sure how it would work against bone, but that was hilarious!!!” 

Sans chuckled as he pulled his hand away. “Whoopie cushions work better.”

Alex’s mouth dropped open. “No way! Whoopie cushions?! Why haven’t I thought of that before?”

Sans glanced at the two unconscious guys on the sidewalk.

“Eh, just leave ‘em.” Alex said, beginning to turn back toward her destination. “They’ll be fine...or they won’t, whatever.”

Sans smirked, he rather liked this girl’s attitude. She seemed like a real Spitfire.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I think this has become a game of "how many times can I use the title in the work and it not get old" XD )


	4. Current Timeline: Sleeptalking, Sleepwalking, and Why it Sometimes Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place in the current timeline, before Sans meets Alex.   
> Sans has nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> STRUDELOO WROTE THIS AND I NEARLY CRIED!  
> IS SO GOOD!
> 
> Enjoy!!!!  
> -Paigey & Strudeloo

Papyrus woke with a start, quickly sitting up, throwing off his covers and glancing out the low, grungy window above his bed. Through the dirty, crooked screen of his painted-shut window he could see that stars still littered the sky and it was likely hours until dawn. Papyrus squinted slightly as he stared off into the distance, trying to puzzle out what had woken him. 

Then he heard it. Through the cracked, paper-thin walls, he heard a quiet whimper.

With well practiced ease born of years of his brother’s nightmares, Papyrus swung his long legs out of the squeaky, too lumpy bed and quietly padded across the room to his door. He pressed hard on the warped wood and jiggled the handle until it gave a soft click and swung outwards into the hallway. Glancing towards his brother’s room across the hall, he saw a tiny telltale sliver of blue dancing in the gap under the door.

Papyrus gently made his way to the kitchen, taking extra care not to cause any loud thumps or crashes, and knowing very well at this point that his brother’s nightmare  _ could _ actually get worse if he was startled before waking up. He opened one of the cabinets and removed a glass, filling it with water before making his way back towards his brother’s room.

He paused outside the door, offering a few quick taps on the hollow wood before softly pushing the door open. This was a pleasant change from the home they shared in Snowdin where Sans kept his room locked at all times and on nights like these, there was nothing Papyrus could do except patiently sit outside his door with a glass of water and wait for him to wake up on his own. The nightmares might happen just as frequently, but at least he could be there to help his brother.

As he crossed the room, feet muffled on the dingy, water-damaged carpet, he sadly regarded his brother’s hunched form on the bare mattress. They had been on the surface for nearly 8 months now, and this routine had become more or less second nature. Papyrus sighed quietly to himself, setting the glass of water on the table next to Sans’ bed and taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. Eerie shadows drifted and shifted around the room in time with his brother’s whimpers and shudders as the flickering blue light behind his tightly shut eyes shone through.

Papyrus placed a gentle, open palm on Sans’ back, softly rubbing slow circles into the sweat-drenched shirt he was wearing and making near-inaudible shushing noises. He wondered what his brother was seeing tonight in his dreams. Generally, Sans would dream something to do with either Papyrus or the small human Frisk and in any time Papyrus asked, his brother would simply wave him off with a dismissive, “It’s nothing” or “Don’t worry about it” or “Just that you ran us out of ketchup, bro” and that would be the end of it. Papyrus trusted his brother, but sometimes wished that his brother would trust him too.

He felt Sans give a particularly hard lurch under his hand as a breathy cry broke through his tightly clenched teeth. Papyrus paused for a moment, removing his hand and wondering if this was one of those nights where he would have to wake his brother up with force before he hurt himself - again.

“A-Alex… No!” Sans suddenly shouted, sitting straight up in bed with wide, vacant eyes staring hard into the darkness ahead. After a few moments of heavy panting he seemed to come back to himself, his sweat cooling on his bones. He glanced around and guiltily started when he finally realized that Papyrus had been sitting next to him on the bed.

“Heh, sorry Paps, guess this was a bad one, huh?” The silence stretched between them for a moment too long before Sans dropped his brother’s gaze and looked down into his lap, hands firmly grasped together to hide the shaking.

Papyrus stared hard at his brother, before offering him the glass of water from the table. As Sans took a few small sips, the glass clinking against his teeth while his hand shook, Papyrus quietly asked, “Brother, who is Alex?”

Sans froze and stared hard at the wall, handing the mostly full glass of water back to his brother stiffly and Papyrus knew he had asked a question he shouldn’t have. He could see Sans shutting down in front of him, the layers of emotionless masks sliding firmly into place with near audible finality.

The smaller of the two siblings looked up at his little brother, his usual fake grin stretched hard across his face, scrunching his unhappy eyes into two tear-streaked half moons as he laughed harshly. “Just one of the girls I work with, bro. I dreamed she called in sick and I had to actually do my job. It’s okay though, she just had a femur.”

Papyrus knew the role he was supposed to play here. This was his brother closing him out. This was his brother telling him, in the kindest way he knew how, that he didn’t trust Papyrus enough to tell him the truth. Papyrus took the water, standing with false indignity that he had rehearsed through years and years of his brother’s laughing lies. He made his way back to the door of his brother’s small room, trading half-hearted quips the whole way. He glanced back at his brother, meeting Sans’ desperately unhappy smile with a worried look before quietly closing the door and heading back to the kitchen.

He could see through the cracked front window that the sky outside had begun to lighten as dawn approached. He wondered if perhaps some spaghetti pancakes would help his brother feel better.

\------

Sans laid back on his bed, scooting out of the damp spot he had left during his nightmare and drifted, idly listening to Papyrus clattering around in the kitchen. He wanted desperately to go back to sleep but already knew it was futile. Sans knew, that any time he closed his eyes, he would see you. He would see you, broken and bloody, lying cradled gently in Papyrus’ arms on the ruined floor of your apartment. He would see your lifeless eyes, dim and unseeing, staring back at him from his brother’s sobbing embrace.

He laid there, staring up at his ceiling and watching as light gradually bled back into the world.

 


	5. The First Timeline: I’d Like To See You Get By On Good Looks Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in the First Timeline. After “LV at First Glance.” and before “The Promise”
> 
> Sans isn't too keen on Alex's profession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, yesterday's and today's one shots are pretty angsty, huh? ;)
> 
> I'll need to write some fluff to make up for it!
> 
> Also, is it weird that I've been listening to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack while writing this one? XD
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paigey

***Sans’ POV***

 

Sans stood outside of the run down hotel, the place where you usually went to...well...do your “job.”

He didn’t like it at all, but he really didn’t have any right to say anything. You were your own person, he was just a friend. Of course, he wasn’t really sure why the two of you were friends, sometimes you acted like you hated him. Perhaps you just need someone to take your anger out on, he had never really seen you hang out with anyone unless it was work.

It’d been around 3 months since he had met you outside the bar, the night you beat up two guys who were messing with you. Sans had walked you to your home, which had actually been on the way to his apartment. He enjoyed the pranks you liked to pull and the jokes you made, it reminded him of himself in happier times. You seemed to like hanging around him as well, at least when you weren’t pushing him away.

It was an odd relationship to say the least, but Sans cared for you. He worried about you when you didn’t call or text for a couple of days, and he constantly feared of someone taking advantage of you during one of your ‘sessions.’

God, Sans hated thinking about what you did for a living, even as he waited outside the hotel he felt dirty.

_ Prostitute _

_ Escort _

_ Sex worker _

Those were all titles he had heard you go by. You went by a separate name when it came to clients as well. You were careful about keeping your work life and private life apart. When you had met Papyrus, you had told them you worked as a freelance house cleaner, you actually had business cards just to go the extra step to prove it. Of course, it was all a ruse. You had apparently cleaned before you decided on your current profession, but you didn’t make near enough money to pay rent and utilities at your apartment.

Your reason for getting into prostitution? It was something you were “good at” and could “make a fuck ton of money doing.”

That was what you had told him when he’d asked about it before. He believed you, though he knew nothing about the “being good at it” part, he did see that you could afford quite a lot of nice things. You could have probably been living in a bigger apartment, but you had said you liked where you lived.

Sans watched a man walk out the front door of the hotel, he kept an eye on him as he called a cab and left. Sans was pretty sure that was one of your clients, and for a moment he felt a pang of hatred for the man. 

He had no reason to feel that way, this was the way you made your income, and it wasn’t like you and him were romantically involved in any way. But the thought of another person’s hands on you made him feel a multitude of emotions that he just wasn’t used to. 

One of them was anger, and he was familiar with that, plenty of things had made him angry underground and on the surface. Rude people, criminals, some of the nightmares that plagued his sleep, those things made him angry. But not like this. This was a different sort of rage.

He also felt fear, he didn’t want you getting hurt. This was one reason why he was waiting for you. He couldn’t trust any of these people not to injure you...or worse.

And perhaps he even felt a little jealous. Not so much because these people were having sex with you, but more so because they were getting to see a more intimate side of you, even if what you did was more of an act, it was still a side to you that Sans hadn’t seen.

For some reason, that bothered him more than anything. He wanted to get to know you more. He didn’t care about getting you into bed, he merely wanted to learn about you. Your hobbies, favorite songs, what kinds of movies you liked to watch, and the things you dreamt about. Those were just a few of the things he wanted answers to. 

He couldn’t tell you that though.

You walked out of the hotel doors, running your hands through your hair. Sans noticed you did that sometimes when you were nervous. You looked around until your eyes laid on him, your expression went from anxious to slightly irritated as you came toward him.

“You don’t have to wait out here for me all the time, ya know?”

Sans just shrugged, “Got nothin’ better to do.”

You forced out a sigh, but the corner of your mouth turned up just a bit.

“Come on, ya numbskull.” You said, starting on the path toward your apartment.

“If you want, we can take a shortcut.” Sans said as he walked alongside you.

You seemed to ponder his offer for a moment before speaking. “Nah, I think I’d rather walk.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Sans kept glancing over at you, observing your posture. You seemed a little more closed off than usual. You kept fidgeting with the sleeves of your jacket, bunching them up around your hands. You eventually crossed your arms in front of your chest.

“Alex, is everything ok?” He asked.

“Huh? What?” You said after a second. You seemed distracted.

“Is something wrong?” 

“Oh, no, everything's fine, Sans. Don’t worry about me so much.” You told him.

That was the reaction he’d expected. You’d tell him you were fine and shut him out. He couldn’t say much though, he was the same way. Maybe that was why you both stuck around one another, because you both understood the need to have someone there, even if you couldn’t talk about everything with them.

He knew better than to push you. You’d talk when you were ready, or you wouldn’t, but either way he couldn’t force you. 

The walk back to your apartment was silent. Every now and then you would sigh or grunt, very softly, probably trying to hide it, but Sans had impeccable hearing. He knew something was wrong. 

You unlocked the door to your place and stepped in. Sans took in the extravagant furniture and other items you had in the main room, there always seemed to be new things setting out every time he came over.

“Hey, I need to take a quick shower. Hang around if you want, raid the fridge, watch tv, you know what to do. My home is your home.” You said, walking off down the hall.

Sans stepped into the sitting area, admiring the fancy knick knacks you had sitting on the shelves. You were a bit of a material girl, but it was almost like you kept buying things to try and fill some sort of void in your life, but it didn’t seem to be working, so you just kept buying and kept buying. He knew it was a problem, but he kept his opinions to himself about it, knowing that you would probably just blow up at him if he mentioned it.

He sat on the couch and played around with some apps on his phone until you came back. When you stepped into the room, your hair hung in wet strands and you were wearing pajamas that consisted of pants and a long-sleeved shirt, which Sans found strange since you usually had no problem showing off your skin. Maybe you were cold.

“Did you want anything to eat or drink?” You asked.

Sans shook his head. “No thanks.”

You shrugged. “Suit yourself, I need a drink.”

You disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a large bottle of wine, no wine glass. You simply sat next to him on the couch and put the bottle to your lips, turning it up and taking a big gulp of it.You liked to drink, a lot, and it wasn’t uncommon for you to get drunk after a session, especially if it was a particularly bad one. And from the way you’d been acting since you got out of the hotel, this last guy was probably one of those.

It wasn’t long before you were pretty tipsy. You started giggling more and rambling about anything and everything. You had downed half of the large bottle and Sans took it from you, cutting you off before you let yourself drink too much.

“Why you gotta be like that Saaaans!” You said.

“You drink too fast, most of what you drank hasn’t even taken effect yet.” He said.

You whined and went to reach for the bottle again. When you did, your sleeve moved back a little and that’s when he saw what you’d been hiding.

He grabbed your arm and pulled it over to him, despite your protests, and pushed your sleeve up past your elbow. Your arm was covered in scratches and bruises. He turned it over in his hands, looking at every small injury.

“Alex, what the hell is going on?” He asked, his jaw clenched as he looked up at you.

Your expression was blank. “Sans, it’s fine.”

“It is NOT fine!” He said. His brow bones furrowed as he glanced back at your arm. “Are you...Who is…”

You sighed. “People pay more for shit like this.”

Realization hit Sans like an oncoming train, and he could feel the rage inside him building.

“You let people beat you….for extra money?!”

“It’s just a kink thing. Nothing too bad. Scratching, biting, slapping, that sort of thing.”

He looked at the places on your arm, and went to move the sleeve up a little more when you pulled back, tugging sleeve down again. Those marks looked a lot more than what you were passing them off to be.

“Don’t worry about it, Sans. It’s not a big deal.” You told him, leaning back into the couch cushions, having given up on getting the wine back now.

“Alex, this sort of thing is just going to escalate. Right now it’s this, but next you know you’ll be letting people break your bones and bring you to the brink of death. And for what? A couple extra hundred bucks for you to spend on more useless items?!”

You glared at him and he shut right up. He hadn’t meant to sound so mean, but he was angry. A little at you, for not only allowing this to happen, but actually encouraging it. And he was angry at the people doing this to you. Sans understood the whole kink thing, sure. But what he didn’t understand was how someone could try to mess up such beautiful, soft skin. Biting and scratching was one thing, but there was definitely more than that going on. It looked like someone had been literally beating on you.

“Sans, you’re being ridiculous.” You said, noticeable irritability in your own voice.

“Am I? Or do you just not want to admit that I might be right?”

You didn’t say anything else, just looked off somewhere, anywhere away from him. He thought you might tell him to leave, but you never did. And he didn’t want to leave you alone at the moment.

So the two of you sat there on the couch in silence until you both eventually fell asleep.

  
  



	6. The First Timeline: It Might Be Your Wound, But They're My Sutures.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place before "The Promise" and after "I’d Like To See You Get By On Good Looks Alone."
> 
> Sans finds you downtown, all sorts of fucked up. He brings you home and takes care of you.
> 
> Oh look, another Fall Out Boy lyric for the chapter title...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh, mild sexual themes? Like, super mild XD
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paige

“Where the hell is she?” Sans muttered to himself, teleporting to your apartment. You weren’t at the hotel and you didn’t seem to be here either. 

He pulled out his phone and flipped through his contacts to find Tara, your best friend. He didn’t talk to her much, but basically had her number in case of times like this. He tapped the call button and help the phone to the side of his skull. 

“Hello?” Tara’s voice came through the speaker after the third ring.

“Hey Tara. Have you seen Alex?” Sans asked.

“I talked to her a few hours ago, she said she was going downtown for a bit...didn’t say what for though.” 

Sans gritted his teeth. “I think I might have an idea.”

“Do you need me to go find her?” She asked.

“No, I’m going to go get her. Thanks Tara.”

“It’s no problem, Sans. Please let me know if she’s ok. I’ll be there as soon as possible if you need me to be.” 

“I know. I’ll send you a message as soon as I get her home.” He told her.

“Thanks, Sans. Be careful.”

“Always am.”

With that, he hung up the call and pocketed his phone once again. He wasn’t lying when he said he had an idea of where you’d be. He let out a heavy sigh before teleporting once again.

 

There was an old, abandoned building downtown where a lot of...illegal activity happened. You disappeared down there sometimes doing who-knows-what. Sans didn’t want to ask, just thinking about it made him feel nauseous.

He arrived in front of the building, it’s front door and windows boarded up. Shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, he slowly walked down the side of the building, trying not to meet the eyes of a couple of bleary-eyed people shooting up in the alley.

There was smoke all around, not from a fire, but from cigarettes, an abundance of them it seemed. The entire area reeked of smoke and alcohol. Sans turned the corner and stepped around to the back door, where he saw you about 10 feet away.

You were on the ground, propped halfway up on the wall. It was clear that you were intoxicated, and the fresh scratches and bruises on your exposed skin confirmed Sans’ suspicions of what you had been doing. He walked over and knelt down to you.

“Hey.” 

You opened your eyes and turned to look at him.

“Are you ok?” He asked, knowing good and well that you weren’t.

“Go away.” You murmured, your voice somewhere between angry and pleading.

Sans shook his head, this was getting ridiculous. He moved an arm around your back, the other underneath your knees. He could feel you attempting to struggle against him, but it was no use, you were too weak.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.” He said, standing up with you in his arms.

You looked up to him with an exhausted gaze that made his soul ache. He could see that you were tired, not just physically, but just overall tired of all of this shit that you kept putting yourself through. 

He stepped through the void and brought you back to your apartment. He sat you on the couch gently and went to the kitchen, bringing you back a glass of water with a straw. He held it out to you so you could sip the water without the possibility of you spilling it all over yourself.

“Thank you.” You said, your voice hoarse. 

He set the glass on the coffee table and turned to you, taking one of your arms in his hands. You didn’t meet his eyes, only winced quietly as he ran a finger over one of the cuts on your arm.

“These need to be cleaned and bandaged.” Sans said, doing his best to keep his anger at bay. There would be time to be mad with you once your injuries were tended to. 

“It’ll be fine.” You muttered. 

He gave you a look letting you know that he was not convinced in the least.

“Do you want me to handle this, or do you want me to call Tara?”

He knew that Tara would be harsh with you, scolding you the whole time she’d be cleaning you up.

You grumbled. “Fine.”

He pushed the sleeve of your shirt up a little more, frowning when it seemed like the marks were only getting worse the further up he went.

“Can you lean forward a little?” He asked.

You hesitated at first, but complied, leaning forward and resting your elbows on your knees, placing your head in your hands.

Sans took the bottom of your shirt and gently pulled upward, sucking in air through his teeth as he looked over the welts on your back. He laid the clothing back down and stood from the couch.

“I’ll be right back.” He said, keeping on a hard poker face.

Sans walked off into the bathroom and started the water in the tub. He clenched his jaw, his hands balled into fists. How did it get this bad? Why had he not stopped you from doing this. He could have prevented this had he only watched out for you more, but he didn’t want to get in your way or run you off.

He let the water run warm and plugged up the drain. As the tub filled up, he walked back out to the living room. 

“Do you think you’ll be able to bathe yourself?” He asked seriously. “Those cuts need to be washed, and it might make you feel a little better, sitting in the water.”

You worked to push yourself from the couch, but ended up almost falling to the floor. Sans caught you and set you on your feet, still holding your shoulders.

“Here, I’ll take you in there.” He said, enveloping you with his magic and using it to carry you into the bathroom. He flipped the toilet lid down and had you sit on it while he shut the water off in the tub.

“Can’t you just heal it with magic or something?” You asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

“If I had healing magic, I could, but I don’t.” He told you. “I can still call Tara if you want.”

“No. Just...help me get my clothes off.”

If this had been any other time, if you weren't intoxicated or in pain, he would have been blushing and fumbling around like a fool. But he pushed those feelings aside, he needed to treat this as if it were a service, and he was the professional in this situation.

He eased your shirt off and had you stand and lean on him as he helped push you pants down enough so you could step out of them. Once you were standing there in your underwear, he hesitated. You had numerous places all over your body where the skin had been broken or bruised. But that wasn't the only reason he didn't press further.

“Sans, you're like, the only one of my friends who hasn't seen me naked. It's ok, really, it’s just my body. It doesn't mean anything.”

He didn't know if that was supposed to make him feel better or worse.

You reached down and pushed your panties off, then attempted to reach behind and unclasp your bra, but your arms were hurting you. Sans reached around you and unhooked it for you, pulling it from your body and letting it fall on top of the pile of clothes that lay on the bathroom floor.

He couldn't help but stare at what he'd just uncovered. Your breasts were unlike anything he'd seen, and the fact that each nipple had a little metal bar through it made them that much more intriguing.

You smirked. “Yeah, that's the usual reaction.”

Sans cleared his throat and tried to force away the heat that he could feel on his face. He looked away from your body as he lifted you up once again, using his magic to help so were weren't lying completely against him. He gently lowered you into the tub until you were sitting before he pulled back.

“Can you go ahead and get my back, I can do the rest.” You told him, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, sure.” He said.

You leaned slightly forward and he splashed some water up onto your shoulders before grabbing the bar of soap. He started rubbing small circles along the upper part of your back, taking in the marks along your skin. There were definitely scars forming, and some older ones already there.

“You don’t deserve this, ya know.” He found himself saying aloud. “What you’ve been letting people do to you.”

He was met with silence as he finished washing your back. He held out the soap and you took it from his hand.

“Do you want me to stay in here?” He asked.

You nodded and he sat down on the floor, turning so that his back was pressed against the tub. 

“Thank you, Sans.” You spoke after a few minutes. Sans almost turned to look at you, but decided against it.

“It’s no problem.” He replied.

 

As you finished up, Sans found the first aid kit you had stashed under the bathroom sink and pulled some antibacterial ointment and bandages from it. He helped you stand and dry off before having you sit back down on the toilet while he tended to your injuries. You thanked him a couple more times and he waved it off, he’d already told you that it wasn’t a big deal.

“You’ve helped me more times than I can count.” You told him as he finished patching you up. “How could I repay you for that?”

Sans met your eyes with a confused glance. “Why would you think that you need to repay me? I’m your friend, I’m happy to help you.” His eyes moved over a rather large bandage he’d put on your arm. “Even though...I really wish you’d stop doing this.”

You didn’t respond as he stood, scooping you up in his arms again and carrying you into the bedroom. He sat you down on the bed and went to your dresser to fish out some pajamas.

“Just one of the long t-shirts.” You told him.

He grabbed one and walked back over to sit next to you. You took the shirt and stared at it in your lap. Sans’ furrowed his brow bones, opening his mouth to say something when you placed the shirt on the bed next you and turned to face him.

“Is something wrong?” He asked, searching your eyes.

You moved closer to him, situating yourself onto your knees as you leaned over him. He started to move back when you brought your hand to the back of his skull and pressed your lips against his. He froze, unsure of what to do. Part of him felt like pulling away, but the other part was enjoying the softness and warmth of your lips too much to let that happen.

Closing his eyes, he moved the bones of his mouth against you, hearing you gasp a little in surprise. It didn’t take long before you were kissing along his jaw, making your way down his neck. He groaned at the feeling of your lips and tongue on his vertebrae.

“Alex...wh-what are you doing?”

One of your hands moved up under his shirt, running fingertips over his lower ribs. His breath hitched and you made a soft moaning noise against him.

“You’ve done so much for me.” Your spoke breathily. “Let me repay you.”

His eyes shot open. “Woah, woah, wait a minute.”

He put his hands on your shoulders and pushed you back. You let out a small whine and pursed your lips.

“For one, you’re drunk.”

“Just a little tipsy.” You argued.

He rolled his eyes. “Not my point. Two, this is not how you repay a friend for their kindness.”

You looked at him, confusion written across your face. Was this  _ really _ the only way you knew how to make people happy?

“Am I not good enough for you?” You sounded frustrated.

Sans sighed and raked a hand down his face. “It’s not that Alex. Just...put your shirt on and we can talk about this in the morning.”

He got up and started toward the door.

“Are you leaving.” He could hear the hurt in your voice.

“I’ll be on the couch.” He said as he stepped out into the hallway, pulling your bedroom door up to where there was a crack left.

You’d never kissed him before. It wasn’t that he didn’t want you to kiss him...but not like this. He didn’t want a pity romp because you felt like you owed him something.

But Sans knew, as he flopped back onto the couch, that he wasn’t going to be able to sleep. The thought of your lips on his bones was going to be running through his mind for quite some time, just leaving him wanting more of you.

He couldn’t do that, though. If he knew you well enough, you’d want it to be a one time deal, anything else after that would require payment, and he wasn’t about to fall down that rabbit hole.

So Sans did his best to relax, waiting for the sniffles he knew he’d start hearing from your bedroom. And he’d go in there and hold you until you stopped crying.

Just liked he did every night he stayed over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, first timeline Alex might be a hardcore bitchy girl.
> 
> But she's so broken... 3


	7. The Third Timeline: Don't Give Up Now, You're So Close To a Brand New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of the 3rd timeline in Spitfire!  
> Sans has been looking for you, and he finds you just in time.
> 
> (title from song: Everybody -Keith Urban)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY! WANT A SPITFIRE SHIRT?! WELL CHECK OUT MY TUMBLR IN THE NOTES BELOW THE CHAPTER!
> 
> I have only been wanting to write first timeline stuff and have been avoiding the others XD I'm so sorry!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paige

***Sans’ POV***

 

They got back to the surface...again. Sans wasn’t sure how long it took this time though. Longer than the last? Shorter? He didn’t know. Time was beginning to mean a lot less than it used to.

Just like the last two times, he and Papyrus moved to the same apartment complex in the same city. He tried to hide the fact that he knew this city like the back of his hand now, if Papyrus ever asked anything about it, he’d just tell him that he went walking at night when he couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t a lie, he was doing that very thing this night. He’d had a nightmare about the previous timeline, and once he woke up he knew there was no use in trying to go back to sleep. He was restless, the thought of being dusted again sent a chill down his spine.

So while walking, he decided to focus on other things. More specifically, he decided to focus on  _ you.  _ They’d been on the surface for nearly a full year now, how had he not crossed paths with you yet? He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d gone to the apartment you’d lived at in the last timeline and waited to see if someone came out or went in. Someone did, of course, but they weren’t you.

Sans walked along the sidewalk, the crisp night breeze blowing softly against him. He looked out ahead at the bridge that crossed over a large river that ran right through the city. It was illuminated by some street lamps and seemed to be completely empty. There were barely any cars on the road at this time, much less anyone walking.

Sans stepped over to the railing and looked out at the raging river, it was vast and it’s current looked to be strong. It reminded him of waterfall, but only slightly...the rivers in waterfall weren’t quite the same.

There was a small sniffling sound from further down the bridge that made Sans jump a little. He took his eyes off the water and continued walking. A person came into view, standing on the outside of the railing, they’re hands gripping it as they faced out toward the river.

Sans had seen this before, not in person, but on tv. He’d seen news stories of people jumping off bridges, intentionally killing themselves for a multitude of reasons. Many of the cases seemed to revolve around depression or a feeling of hopelessness, which was something Sans was well acquainted with.

As he got closer, he took in the person’s features. They were just under his height with medium-length auburn-brown hair, As a gust of wind blew some hair away from the side of their face, he froze. There was no mistaking it.

“Alex…” Your name came from his mouth in an almost silent whisper.

You’d had struggled with depression in the previous timelines, but he could never remember a time where you had wanted to end your life. What part of your life had he stepped into? How was this timeline different from the others?

He heard you sniffle again, your hands gripped the rail a little tighter before loosening again. Sans shook himself out of his daze and walked over.

“Hey.” Sans said, his voice gentle so that he wouldn’t scare you. 

“There are more people than you think ya know...that care about you.”

_ Was that the right thing to say? _

You let out a shaky breath. “J-just leave me alone.”

You sounded scared and it made Sans feel that you didn’t really want to do this, but maybe you felt like you had no choice.

“Why are you doing this?” He asked.

It took a moment for you to speak again.

“My life is meaningless.” You said, your voice quiet. “There’s nothing here for me.”

“That’s not true.” The words tumbled out before Sans could stop them. You still didn’t look at him, but your grip on the rail tightened once more.

He wondered, once again, how different life was for you now. What had happened to get you to this point? Or...had anything actually happened? Were you just so overcome with depression that you couldn’t take it anymore?

Sans carefully put his hand over one of yours, thinking over his next words. He didn’t want to scare you off after just finding you again, or worse...make you want to jump.

“Let me show you.” Was what came from his mouth.

You turned your head only slightly, your eyes falling on his hand atop yours. Fear came over him as he remembered that you’d never seen him in this timeline, and he wasn’t like most monsters, as a skeleton he was a bit creepier. He hoped you wouldn’t be scared of him.

“You’re not human. You stated.

“Heh, did the bones give it away?”

He swore he saw the corner of your mouth turn upward and he relaxed a bit.

“Would you come back over the rail and just talk to me?” He asked hesitantly.

You took a deep breath and looked to the water once more.

“Y-yeah, but um...I’m gonna need some help.” You said. “I’m kind of...a little...afraid of heights.”

Sans couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “You’re scared of heights and you chose a bridge.”

He thought he might have said something wrong until he heard you snerk.

“Shut up and help me over.”

You turned and let him take your hand to help you steady yourself as you climbed back over the rail. Once on the other side, you collapsed to the ground. Sans followed you down, taking a seat next to you on the sidewalk. You took the sleeve of your light jacket and wiped your face of the tears you’d been crying.

“Thanks.” You said. 

“No skin off my bones.” Sans joked.

You couldn’t help but giggle at the joke, seeing now that Sans was a skeleton monster.

Sans watched as your smile faded again, your eyes glossing over in a far-off stare as though your mind were elsewhere.

“Hey,” He started, unsure of exactly what he should say. “Um...I know we don’t know each other, but if you want to talk…”

You looked at him again, your eyes were curious and you moved your hand toward him only to stop.

“Uh...your hood.” You spoke. Sans realized you must be asking him to put it down. He usually kept it up when walking around the city to avoid stares from people.

He reached up and pulled it back, uncovering his skull. You sat up a little straighter, looking somewhat confused as you studied his features. Sans could feel heat rise to his cheekbones as you continued to stare at him.

“Have we met before?” You asked. “You look...familiar.”

Sans’ soul twirled within him. Did you remember him? Even if you only recognized him a little bit, it was more than what he’d expected, more than just a blank slate that he had to work like before.

“I work around the city.” Sans said, trying to contain the small amount of excitement he held now. “You might have seen me at one of the hot dog stands or something.”

“What’s your name?” You asked.

“Sans the skeleton, in the flesh.” He said. “S-”

“Sans the flesh?” You spoke up before he could finish. You both laughed again, and Sans became even more intrigued than before.

You smiled and pulled your jacket around you tighter as a cool breeze hit you.

“I’m Alex.” You said. “And uh, thanks again, for that. You didn’t have to. You could have walked right past and I...I would have…”

Sans laid his hand on yours once again. “I wouldn’t have walked past, and neither should’ve anyone else.”

You looked down at your lap, tears forming in your eyes once again. “It’s just been really rough lately. A lot of shit has been going on and I’m a lot more depressed than usual.”

“Do you have anyone who can help you out?” Sans asked.

“I have one friend, but I don’t want to burden her with my problems.” You wiped your eye and sniffed. “And here I am bothering you with them.”

“Hey, hey, no you’re not.” He said gently. “I want to help.”

“But why? You don’t even know me.”

“Well, everybody needs somebody to talk to, and I’d be glad to listen.” He looked down at his hand still over yours. “Also, you kinda look familiar too.”

A small smile tugged at your lips. “M-maybe we crossed paths before.”

“That’s probably it.” He said.

You leaned back against the railing and sighed, looking up at the sky.

“Sometimes I just wish I didn’t exist.” You whispered. 

“I know how that is.” Sans muttered, his hand still over yours. He tilted his head back to look at the stars, though the light pollution of the city made them a little difficult to see. “But friends make it a little easier.”

“Heh, I only have one friend really...and she’s so busy all the time.” You said.

Sans mulled over his next words for a moment. He knew that, if you’d let him show you, you would have so many new friends. You’d be making messes in the kitchen with Papyrus, having anime marathons with Undyne and Alphys, playing video games with Frisk...you’d feel so loved again, just like you did in the last two timelines.

“Well, I could always use another friend.” 

You let out a hum. “Guess I could too.”

You both turned to look at one another before Sans got to his feet and dusted off the seat of his pants.

 

Sans held out his hand to you, white bones glistening in the passing headlights. You glanced down at his fingers for a moment before stretching your own hand towards him. With a hesitant touch, you lightly held his hand before he gripped yours firmly and helped you to your feet.

“Come on kid, you look like someone who could use some good food. I know a place a few blocks up that does midnight waffles.” 

You smiled halfheartedly, ready to decline and head home when your stomach gave you away as the adrenaline rush finally gave way to tiredness and hunger. With a sheepish grin, you shrugged your shoulders in defeat. 

“Midnight waffles sound pretty good, actually.” You said.

Sans smiled and gave your hand a gentle squeeze.

“Alright then. Might wanna make sure you’re all bundled up, though. It’s  _ waffley _ cold out tonight.”

You snorted and doubled up the scarf around your neck as he walked you down off the bridge.


	8. The First timeline: Touched For The Very First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Strudeloo made me pick the title.)
> 
> WARNING, SMUT AHEAD!
> 
> Sans and Alex do the do.  
> [Takes place after ‘It Might Be Your Wound, But They’re My Sutures’ and before ‘The Promise’]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've blocked off the actual smut with *** if anyone wants to read around it.
> 
> But what you are about to read is kinda awkward in parts. Not as awkward as I WANTED to write it, but here ya go. It's been giving me issues for days, I hope it's good enough.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paigey

 

*Sans POV*

 

You were doing better, a lot better. With Sans’ advice, you kicked the violent clients aside and didn't allow yourself to be treated in such a way any longer. Though you refused to give up your profession for good, Sans was proud that you were at least looking out for yourself.

The friendship between the two of you was getting better. You weren't yelling at each other all the time, and you seemed to be letting Sans in a little more, your walls coming down little by little.

Sans realized just how kind of a person you could be, when you wanted to show it. You were funny and smart. If you didn't want ‘easy money’ you could have easily graduated college with whatever degree you wanted...but that wasn't you. And as long as you were happy with yourself, that was alright with Sans.

For the most part, anyway.

Sans was beginning to develop feelings for you, he’d known this for a while and had been ignoring it as best he could, but they were getting stronger now. Maybe it was how you seemed to pay more attention to him now, how you’d joke with him more and the way you’d reach out to touch his arm or skull every now and then when you talked. Whatever it was, he wanted more of it….but he wasn’t about to ask for it and risk damaging the friendship the two of you had built up.

So he’d push the thoughts away and just enjoy the time he was able to spend with you.

Sometimes it was too much though, and sleeping in the same bed with you on nights that he stayed over didn’t help...but there was no way he was letting you face your nightmares alone. And being near you stopped him from focusing on his as well. He found that he wasn’t having as many nightmares about being trapped underground as he usually did…

Of course, there were still times where he did have them.

  


It wasn’t even a memory from the Underground. This time his subconscious was playing tricks on him, and this time it was you turning to dust, over and over and over again. Logically, that wouldn’t happen. You were human, so you’d bleed out...but this was a dream, and logic didn’t exist in those.

Sans tossed and turned in his sleep, unable to wake himself. It wasn’t until he’d heard your voice and felt himself being physically moved that the nightmare let go of him. He opened his eyes to see you leaning over him.

“Sans? Sans! Wake up!” You said, your voice a little frantic.

Sans’ eyes focus in the dark, making out your facial features and the dark hair framing your face.

You were alive.

Not thinking too clearly at the moment, or just throwing caution to the wind, Sans pulled you to him in a nearly bone-crushing hug.

“Woah, hey.” You wheezed, “You ok there, buddy?”

Sans held you tight, attempting to calm his breathing. You relaxed against him, laying your hand on his skull, trying to console him.

“Bad nightmare?” You asked in a whisper.

Still overcome with anxiety, Sans nodded against you.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Sans shook his head slowly. This wasn't the first time he'd had a nightmare at your house, but this was the first time the dream had been about you, and it was the first time you'd woken up.

After a moment, Sans’ arms loosened their hold on you and you lifted yourself up a little, moving your face back in front of his.

“Sans, are you ok?” You asked again.

He reached one of his hands up to your face, cupping your cheek and staring into your eyes.

“You're alive.” He breathed.

Before you could say anything, Sans pushed his hand up into your hair and pulled your head down, pressing your lips to his.

You tensed, but didn't pull away. Instead, after the initial shock wore off, you melted into the kiss, moving your soft lips against the malleable bones of his mouth.

Sans knew better than this. You were purely physical, you would never think of him as anything more than a friends with benefits if he let this go further. But at the moment, he didn't care. The thought of losing you frightened his very soul, and he was damned if he'd go through this life without showing you how he felt...even if it was through the only way you seemed to process love.

Sans deepened the kiss, using his magic to produce his tongue and slide it across the inside of your bottom lip. You let out a small gasp before moaning, pressing yourself as close to him as possible.

Sans ran his hands gently down your back before resting them on your hips. You pulled back from the kiss, breathing heavily as you studied his face.

“Ok, Sans, seriously….You can kiss THAT well and you never let me in on it?!”

Sans blushed a little and stumbled over his words. “Uh...uh….Well, I, um…”

“oh ho no...no way…” You said, almost laughing, “You're a fucking virgin, aren't you?”

Sans was blushing bright blue now and you snorted.

“Oh Sansy, you don't even know how to touch a woman, do you?”

You'd use that nickname when joking around with him, but now it just felt...dirty.

“I mean...some monsters have human-like  anatomy, so I'm not completely lost…” He mumbled.

You were still laughing softly, but Sans knew you weren't so much making fun of him as you were making fun of the situation itself.

“Oh, Sans, you're adorable.”

Or you thought he was adorable, that was it.

He really wasn't sure what to say to that, but you just smiled and ran your fingertips from the top of his skull down the side and across his jaw line.

“Before I do anything else,” You sounded a little more serious now, “I just need to make sure I'm reading the signs right. Do you want to go further than this? Than just kissing?”

Sans gulped air and you just smirked, your hands now forming a place to rest your chin.

“You gotta tell me, bone boy. I'm a professional, I need consent.”

“y-yeah.” He said. “I do.”

You placed your hands on either side of his head and lifted yourself up slightly, your upper body hovering above his.

“I don't know much about skeleton monsters, but…” You smiled a little wider. “This should be a lot of fun.”

 

***

*Your POV*

 

You’d had monster clients before, and they never seemed too different from humans. You started at the bones of Sans’ neck, planting little smooches over each vertebrae and smiling to yourself when you heard him gasp softly.

His whole body was practically shaking beneath you, unsurprisingly. You were good at your job, and the fact that Sans wasn’t used to this kind of stimulation made it even easier for you.

Of course, you couldn’t help but wonder why he’d never had sex. In your opinion, he was quite handsome, and had a wonderful sense of humor. Those were two things that made most women weak in the knees...So what on earth had he been waiting for?

Pushing those thoughts from your mind, you focused your attention back on him. Straddling his hips, you sat up and pulled your shirt off. He’d seen your breasts before, though it was not in any sort of sexual setting.

You smirked when you noticed his hands twitching, wanting to move.

“You can touch me, Sans. I’m not gonna break.”

He chuckled, “Sorry, just a little...nervous I guess.”

You understood that completely. Taking hold of his wrists, you moved his hands to rest on your hips. You let go of them and laid your hands on your thighs. Slowly he began to move his hands up along the curves of your sides.

“You’re so soft.” He said.

You chuckled, “I guess I am compared to you, huh?”

You fiddled with the bottom of his shirt. You couldn’t remember ever seeing him with it off, but he looked a little chubby...for a skeleton.

“Can you take this off?” You asked, tugging at the fabric.

He nodded and you scooted back on his legs so he could sit up. He pulled the shirt off revealing his ribcage. He definitely didn’t look like a skeleton on those anatomy posters.

“Just an...observation…” You spoke, “You seem to fill out your clothes like you have a stomach...but you don’t.”

He laughed, “Remember, I’m a skeleton _monster_. My body is made of magic, and...well, that’s pretty much the explanation for it.”

You reached out and ran your fingertips along one of his ribs, he shuddered at the touch. Taking it as an invitation to continue, you poked your fingers into the spaces and grasped one of the bones. His grip on your sides tightened, the bones of his fingertips dug into your skin and you gasped softly.

After the initial shock wore off, his hands began moving again, this time to your chest. His movements were very gentle as he cupped one of your breasts in his hand. He stared curiously, his thumb moving over your nipple piercing.

“Did this hurt?” He asked.

“Like a bitch.” You told him, “But they’re all healed now. You like them?”

“I do actually.” He said.

Your watched as he opened his mouth, producing a bright blue tongue. He brought his face close to you and dragged his tongue across your nipple. You groaned, a new wave of arousal washed over your entire body.

As he moved his mouth to the other breast, you reached around him to touch his spine. He seemed to like that, if you were judging by his quiet moans.

You were trailing kisses down his skull and neck bones when you felt his fingers grip the waistband of your shorts.

“Need some help with that?” You whispered against his neck.

“Is it ok?” He asked.

You let out a snort, “It’s cute how you think you need to ask that.

You pulled back and moved off of him to take your shorts and underwear off in one motion. Sitting back down next to him, you noticed the way he looked at you. There was a curiousness to his gaze, mixed with tenderness. Like he was really trying to figure you out, but didn’t want to do anything wrong.

He lifted his eyes back up to meet yours and slowly leaned toward you. You closed the gap and pressed your lips to his. The kiss was sweet with just a hint of passion behind it. You leaned your body closer to his and felt him move one of his hands up your thigh, gliding over the front of it to rest between your legs.

The craving in your lower abdomen only grew as he moved slowly, inch by agonizing inch, up your thigh.

“Sans…” You whispered against his mouth. “ _Please_.”

Cracking an eye open to see if he had any reaction, you saw that his face was even more blue than it was before. You were feeling pretty pleased with yourself as you closed your eyes to kiss him more.

You sighed as his fingers slid along the outside of your folds before diving between them. You heard his sharp intake of breath as your warmth and wetness seemed to envelop his fingers.

You realized quickly that Sans knew more than he let on. You’d met humans and monsters alike that, though having had sex before, had no idea how to touch a woman. But Sans immediately found your clitoris and made soft, circular motions around it. You moaned rather loudly, breaking the kiss to breathe.

Your neck now exposed, Sans took this opportunity to kiss the skin there. He dragged his tongue up and was soon nibbling on your earlobe. You panted as his movements grew faster, you were so close to orgasm already that you could barely stand it. You were sure Sans could sense this, as he started biting just a bit harder on the crook of your neck.

“Oh _god._ ” You moaned over and over as the waves of pleasure washed over you. You body spasmed as you held onto Sans’ rib cage rather tightly.

Your breathing slowed a bit and you looked at him. He had this extremely smug look on his face.

“It’s just Sans. But you can call me god if you really want to.”

You burst into laughter. You’d heard that joke in bed a couple of times, only with people who could really make you yell that out though.

Reaching down, you grabbed his shorts and looked back up at his eyes. He lifted slightly so you could pull them down his legs to reveal….a pelvis.

You blinked. “Please tell me your magic comes into play here.”

He chuckled and nodded. You watched as magic swirled around his lower body to produce a bright blue penis of average size.

Without even thinking, you wrapped your hand around it. It didn’t feel like skin, it was more slick, and something about it made the skin of your hand tingle in a pleasant way. You moved your hand along his length and had Sans gasping for air after only a few strokes. Not wanting him to blow all over your hand, you pushed him onto his back and straddled him once again. You bent down and kissed him before lining him up with your entrance and slowly sliding yourself all the way down onto him.

“Ahhahh...Fuuck…” He breathed. He wasn’t the only one bathing in immense pleasure. Your eyes were closed as you stayed still for a moment, taking in just how nice the feeling of him being inside you was.

You began moving, dragging him along your inner walls and then thrusting him back into you again. His hands were back on your hips, his jaw clenched as he squeezed his eyes shut.

The heat in your belly coiled once again. The warmth spreading not only down into your nether regions, but all across your body. You felt him twitching inside of you, which made you gasp and move even faster.

Suddenly, you were pulled down onto him like before, but this time he flipped you onto your back and began thrusting into you mercilessly. What had been so sensual before was now something he was craving. You could see it in his face, the desire, that _need_ to have you.

“Sans…” You whispered, “So...close…”

He didn’t say a word, but you knew he was too. He leaned in and kissed you roughly before pounding into you harder than before.

Your hands found purchase in the bed sheets, gripping them tight as you hit your peak. You screamed out his name, your walls constricting him. With one final thrust into you, your name was spoken breathlessly from his lips as you felt a warm, tingling sensation fill you. The both of you were still for a few moments, only short, shallow breaths filled the air.

Your eyes were still closed as you felt his hand on your face, cupping your cheek, his thumb running over your smooth skin.

All at once, the magic dissipated and you were empty. Sans rolled off of you and laid next to you on his back.

 

***

 

“Wow.” You mumbled after a few minutes. Looking over at him, you could see the smile on his face. “And you said you were a virgin.”

A deep laugh rumbled in his chest, “I am- err, was. But the internet is a wonderful thing.”

You giggled, seeing his face blush blue once again. “Well, you must have done some damn good research.”

There was a few more moments of silence before Sans spoke again.

“So..uh...do I need to-”

“No.” You said.

You looked at each other.

“You were going to ask if you needed to pay me. The answer is no.”

He looked away from you, probably a little embarrassed about thinking that now. You reached over to your nightstand and cut the lamp off before turning to face him, laying your arm over his rib cage.

“I only ask for payment from clients. You’re my friend.” You whispered. “Honestly, I feel like I should be paying you.”

“I wasn’t THAT good.” He said.

“It was...really great actually.” You could feel yourself blushing now, and were grateful for the darkness. “But I didn’t just mean the sex.”

His silence was proof that he knew what you meant.

“Goodnight, Sansy.” You said.

“‘Night Alex.”

You closed your eyes and focused on the feeling of his phalanges in your hair as you drifted off to sleep.


	9. The First Timeline: I Only Wanted Fun and You Got Me All Fucked Up On Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're beginning to realize that Sans means more to you than you thought.
> 
> Title from "Where Did The Party Go?" by Fall Out Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Takes place after ‘Touched for the Very First Time’ and before ‘The Promise’]
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paigey

You woke up in the arms of a skeleton monster, one of your very best friends… And the only person you were willing to sleep with and not charge.

This ‘Friends with Benefits’ deal between the two of you had been going on for a few months now. You couldn’t lie, it was pretty damn amazing. Sans had gone from nervous virgin to someone who might have been a little overly cocky in bed. Not that you minded it. It made your escapades a lot more interesting.

But it wasn’t just about the sex, Sans was much more than that. He was someone you could count on to be there for you. There were many nights that he stayed over and the two of you just talked or watched movies until you ended up passed out on the couch.

You pulled back a little to look at his face, silently laughing to yourself at the sight of him slack-jawed and completely knocked out. You were intrigued by the fact that he wasn’t actually drooling, but you figured he’d have to have his magic activated for that anyway.

Sleeping in the same bed with Sans wasn’t a new thing. Even before the two of you began having sex, he’d stay over. It started when you began having nightmares caused by the stress from your job. At first, he’d just come into your room and ask if you were ok. As time passed, he’d hear you crying and lay down with you until you stopped. Eventually, he just ended up spending the night in your bed. You couldn’t remember how many times you woke up, surprised to find him laying next to you.

It wasn’t so surprising anymore, though.

“Hey, bonehead, wake up.” You said, gently pushing on his arm.

He grunted and pulled you close to him again, mumbling nonsensical words as he buried his face into the top of your head. You couldn’t help but let out a giggle, he could be positively adorable sometimes.

_ Stop. _

You pushed that thought back. You’d caught yourself thinking like that more than you’d like to admit. But you told yourself not to get attached, not to think of your relationship with Sans as anything more than friendship. 

You wiggled your way out of his grasp and shook him a little harder than before, “Come on. I’ll make us some coffee.”

He cracked an eye open, “I’d like that a  _ latte _ .”

You covered your mouth and snorted, earning a wide grin from him. You shook your head and walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen and started making a pot of coffee.

It wasn’t long before you felt that familiar pair of bony arms wrap around your waist from behind. Sans nuzzled his face against your neck. He was obviously still sleepy, and boy was he a cuddler when he was tired like that.

You hand moved unconsciously to his skull, your fingertips gliding over the smooth bone.

“You gotta work today?” You asked.

“Nah.” He said, lifting his head only to set his chin on your shoulder, “You?”

You pursed your lips, he didn’t ask about your job too often, he respected your privacy and you appreciated it. He did like to know where you’d be though, sometimes even going to the place and waiting for you. You knew he worried, but you assured him that you dropped all the clients who were too rough with you.

“Yeah.” You said softly.

You felt him tense slightly, but it was gone in a second.

“Do you want me to drop you off?” He asked.

You thought a moment, the night’s client was fairly new, but you weren’t worried. Based on the two previous sessions with him, you saw him as practically harmless.

“If that’ll make you feel better about it, yeah.” You told him.

A small huff of dry laughter came from him, “I don’t know about ‘feeling better’ about it…”

There was a tiny twinge of annoyance that ran through you as you grabbed the pot of coffee and poured a cup.

A moment of awkward silence passed between the two of you before he let out a sigh and let go of you.

“Sorry, I know you don’t like hearing my thoughts on it, I just… I just want you to be safe.” He said.

The annoyance dissipated and you set the coffee pot back to turn around and face him. He looked so… heartbroken. You reached up to lay your hand against his cheekbone before leaning in to kiss him.

Kissing wasn’t something you normally did unless it involved other sexual acts, and you could feel Sans tense again before kissing you back. You didn’t meet his gaze when you pulled back. Grabbing your mug, you made your way into the living room, leaving him standing there in a bit of a daze.

_ Why the hell did I do that? _

You bit your lip, you were playing a dangerous game then and you knew it. Not only were you dragging him along, but you were acting on feelings that you needed to stomp out immediately.

“So, uh…” You started as he poured himself some coffee, “We got the whole day to ourselves. Anything in particular you wanna do?”

“Not really.” He said, walking into the room and flopping down next to you on the couch, “How about you?”

You shrugged, “There’s nothing I need to do.”

“Lazy day then?”

You looked over and took in his lazy smile. There was a fluttering sensation in your stomach.

_ Oh yeah, real dangerous game. _

“Sounds good to me.”

 

\---

 

Sans teleported you to a nearby hotel. His smile was strained as he looked at you. He was really trying to be nice about the whole thing. You knew he didn’t like your line of work, but he also knew you weren’t going to change your mind.

“Are you gonna wait out here?” You asked, though you knew the answer.

“That’s the plan.” He said, yanking the hood of his jacket over his skull and leaning back against the building.

You stood there a minute, looking at the time on your phone. You had a few minutes to spare.

“Don’t hesitate to call if you need me.” He said.

A smirk played across your lips, “I don’t think this guy is interested in a threesome, Sansy.”

Sans sputtered, “Y-you know what I mean!” He shook his head, “Call me if something goes wrong.”

You smiled, “I will. Thanks.”

He pulled out his own phone and you looked over to the entrance before turning back to him.

“I uh...I guess I’ll go on up.” You told him.

“I’ll be here.” He said, not taking his eyes off his phone.

You hesitated at first, but soon started toward the hotel lobby. As you made your way to the elevator, you couldn’t help but feel awkward. Things were changing between you and Sans, and you weren’t sure if you were comfortable with it. More often than not now you would see catch him looking at you, sadness filling the void of his eye sockets. He’d drop you off at your usual stops and he would do what he was doing now, just waiting around and playing games on his phone to try and take his mind off what you were doing.

You weren’t stupid, you’d definitely noticed he had started looking at you differently. He was a lot more affectionate than he had been before, and he’d started taking you out to eat at fancier places and paying for your meal. You liked being independent, but something about him doing that for you made your heart twist in your chest, and you wondered if he considered those outings as dates.

You made it to the 3rd floor and walked down the hall to the room the client had told you. You straightened your clothes and gave a few swift knocks on the door. The door swung open after a few seconds, revealing your client. 

He was a handsome man, a few years older than you, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He stepped back and opened the door further to allow you to step in.

“How are you this evening?” You asked as you entered the hotel room.

You heard him close the door behind you and lock the deadbolt.

“I’m doing well, how about you?”

You went to respond when another man stepped into view… Perhaps you were wrong about the threesome thing.

“Hey, uh, I hope you know this costs extra.” You made a motion between the two men.

The two of them laughed, making your skin crawl. The grip on the phone in your hand tightened.

The new guy stepped closer to you, “Remember me, sweetheart?”

You looked up at him, something about his face looked familiar.

He grabbed your arm and yanked you over to him, his fingers digging into your flesh hard enough to bruise. Looking at him again, you recognized him as one of the more aggressive clients that you kicked to the curb.

“What the hell do you want?” You said, your anger rising.

“I wanna know what the hell your deal is, blocking my number and shit.” The guy said.

“Oh, maybe because of the same kind of shit you’re doing right now!” You raised your voice.

You tried to pull from his grasp, but he only gripped you harder. If you could just find an opening, you could beat his ass…

The other man, your client, stepped in and took your other arm. He smirked when you looked at him.

“We’re gonna teach you a lesson about what happens when you don’t let perfectly nice gentlemen get their way.”

You were dumbfounded. You had put some amount of trust in this man as you did with all of your clients, and now he was completely crushing it.

Thankful that your phone was still in your hand, you unlocked it, keeping your eyes on them you hoped that your thumb was actually hitting the correct icons on the touch screen.

“Get your hands off me.” You said, gritting your teeth. Normally, you’d already be fighting back, but these guys were much larger than you, and by the grip on your arms, probably a lot stronger.

“Or what?” Your client spoke, now bringing a hand to the neckline of your top and grabbing the fabric.

Your eyes quickly glanced down at your phone as you hit the first number in your recent calls list.

One of them must have noticed your movement because your phone was quickly knocked out of your hand and you were thrown back onto the bed.

“The fuck you think you’re doing, you little bitch!?” One of them yelled before you felt a hard slap to your face.

Your fight or flight response kicked in and you were ready to start punching and clawing at whatever you could reach when the two men were suddenly floating in the air. Your head was pounding as you sat up and saw Sans standing in the room. You had never seen his face like that before, one eye completely black while the other glowed a mix of blue and yellow. He was angrier than you’d ever seen him.

“And what do you two assholes think you’re doing to my girl, here?” He growled.

_ His girl? _

One of the men let out a laugh, “Your girl? Dude, she’s just a whore!”

You winced at that, but Sans wasn’t having it. With the swift movement of his hand, both men were sent crashing into the wall.

“If I were you I’d keep my mouth shut.” Sans said.

Coming to your senses, you hopped off the bed and grabbed your items from the floor. You turned to Sans and noticed the light of his previously blacked out eye focus on you. He held out his other arm and you grabbed his hand without a second thought. 

“This is your only warning. If either of you show your faces around her again, I won’t show you mercy.”

With that, Sans pulled you through the void and you found yourself back in your apartment.

 

“You ok?... Alex?”

Your legs gave out from under you and Sans pulled you to him for support. You found yourself wrapping your arms around his neck as he held you.

“Come on, talk to me. What happened in there?” He asked.

“They just… grabbed me and slapped me.” you said, your voice shaking.

Sans carried you to the couch where he continued to hold you in his arms as he sat down. You felt his fingers run through your hair, gently scratching your scalp. The sensation was calming.

“It’s ok.” He whispered, “They’re not going to be messing with you anymore. Not as long as I’m around.”

“Thank you.” You said.

“No need to thank me, babe. That’s what friends are for.” He said.

_ Friends… _

_ …”my girl.” _

“Sans.” You spoke.

“Yeah?”

“Is that what we are… just friends?” You asked.

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just brushed your hair back from your face.

“We’re whatever you want us to be.”

You thought on those words for a moment and realized that it didn’t really matter what kind of label you put on your relationship with Sans. What mattered was that you cared for one another.

You looked into his eyes. There were some unspoken words there.

You were scared. But more than that, you were determined.

Pressing your palm to his cheekbone, you leaned in and kissed him like you had before.

But this time, with just a little more feeling.


	10. The Second Timeline: What Really Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans meets Alex for the first time in the second timeline on the surface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first timeline chapter since the end of Spitfire!  
> Don't worry, there will be more soon! :D
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paige

Sans laid back on the couch in his and his brother’s apartment. Frisk had brought them to the surface once again, and they’d been there for around two months so far. Luckily, Sans had found the same apartment they’d stayed in the previous timeline. Everything was going pretty well, except for the fact that he still hadn’t seen you.

The image of you from the last timeline was still fresh in his mind. You were found in your apartment, by Papyrus unfortunately, bloody and broken. Dead. It looked as though you’d killed yourself, but Sans didn’t believe that for a second. You’d had so much going for you, and you had him there to help you through anything. You’d fought depression before and hadn’t given in, and he didn’t believe you would have succumbed to it then either.

He’d begged Frisk to reset. He knew it was a selfish request, but Frisk understood. You were a friend of theirs too, as well as all of the other monsters you had met. Frisk didn’t need much time to make the decision, and Sans had been happy for once when he woke up back in Snowdin.

But now he was worried that you might not even be in the same town, or that you might be stuck in your old problems again. Sans had looked around the old areas you’d hung out in, but couldn’t find you. He’d thought about going to your old apartment but decided that that might be a bit creepy, so he just walked around town, hoping that he might run into you one day.

A tiny glimmer of hope rose in his soul as he just got off the phone with Papyrus, who told him that he’d met two humans and was bringing them over for dinner. It could’ve been anyone, but he held onto the possibility that it might be you.

So he’d traded his slippers for some sneakers and made sure his shirt was clean, just in case, and hoped his brother wouldn’t take notice that he’d actually cared about his appearance for once. And he REALLY hoped he didn’t notice that he’d picked up his socks off the floor of the living room.

Ok, maybe he was hanging onto that glimmer in his soul for dear life.

When the door finally opened, Sans did his best to stay put on the couch and let himself act naturally lazy.

“SANS! I AM HOME! AND I HAVE BROUGHT SOME NEW FRIENDS WITH ME!” Papyrus announced.

Sans peered over the back of the sofa and he froze when his eyes laid on you standing in the doorway.

You looked so different from the previous timeline. The first thing he noticed was that your hair was a lot longer, pulled back into a ponytail that hung down to the middle of your back. You were wearing a tank top and your arm muscles rivaled those of Undyne. He was surprised to see you looking incredibly healthy.

Sans smiled at you, reminding himself that you didn’t recognize him. You smiled back, sending his soul into a fluttering mess.

You turned around and laughed at whoever was still standing outside. Sans thought that it might be Tara, your best friend.

“Come on, babe, they’re nice!”

Or not.

Sans’ smile faltered as you pulled a young man into the room. He ran his free hand through his dark brown hair nervously as he stepped in.

“SANS, THESE ARE THE HUMANS I TOLD YOU ABOUT! HUMANS, THIS IS MY BROTHER, SANS!” Papyrus said excitedly.

Sans stood up and sauntered over to where you all stood. You smiled and took a step forward, extending your hand out to him.

“Nice to meet you, Sans! My names Alex, and this is my boyfriend, Derek!”

Sans forced himself not to cringe at the word ‘boyfriend.’ He also made a mental note that ‘Derek’ sounded pretty familiar. He’d have to check his journals.

He shook your hand, your grip was firm and a lot stronger than he’d remembered. 

His gaze moved to Derek, who’s eyes were wide in fear. A part of Sans wanted him to be scared, but he squashed that feeling down. This was a new timeline. Things were going to be different.

“What’s wrong, kid? Looks like you’ve seen a monster or something.” Sans said.

You let out a snort and quickly covered your mouth. Sans smirked.

“SANS! YOU’RE GOING TO RUN OFF OUR NEW GUESTS WITH YOUR HORRIBLE JOKES!” Papyrus wailed.

“If you think that was bad, just wait. I got a skele- _ ton  _ of ‘em.” Sans winked, sending you into a fit of giggles.

Papyrus groaned, but as long as he could hear you laugh, he’d gladly tell bad jokes at his brother’s expense.

Derek seemed to relax a little at the jokes, giving a nervous laugh of his own as he held his hand out. Sans reached out and shook it, not letting the scowl he so wanted to make reach his face.

He had to play nice. It was nothing against Derek personally, just the fact that he was with you.

“SANS, WHY DON’T YOU PUT ON A MOVIE WHILE I MAKE SPAGHETTI FOR OUR NEW FRIENDS!” Papyrus said before skipping off into the kitchen.

Sans gestured toward the sitting area, “Make yourselves at home.”

He watched as you and Derek took your places on the couch while he sat down in the chair. 

“So, how’d you two meet Paps?” He asked.

“Oh, funny story actually!” You piped up, “So Derek and I were at the store and I was going to get some noodles to make some spaghetti when I saw Papyrus standing in the middle of the aisle, staring at the shelves.”

Sans couldn’t help the small smile that came across his face, your eyes sparkled as you talked of his little brother.

“So I walked over and asked if I could help him out, and he told me that he was trying to decide on the perfect noodles for tonight’s dish! I told him what I was planning on cooking and, oh my gosh, you should have seen the look on his face!”

“I’ve never seen someone that excited about pasta.” Derek said.

You laughed and continued, “Well, we gushed about spaghetti for a bit and that’s when he decided to invite us over for dinner! And I never say no to free food!”

“Even though I’m not too sure how safe it is to just go over to someone’s house 10 minutes after meeting them,” Derek looked at Sans, “No offense.”

Sans waved it off, “None taken.”

You described the rest of the shopping trip, your voice filled with excitement. Sans glanced over at Derek, who was watching you with a gentle gaze, a soft smile on his lips.

Sans knew that look, because he’d given you that same look so many times. It felt as though it was just yesterday, but also like it happened ages ago.

The selfish part of him hoped that your relationship with Derek was just a fling, that after a few weeks you’d break it off and he could take his spot in your life. But Sans could see plain as day on Derek’s face that this wasn’t the case. He truly cared for you, and Sans couldn’t take that away from him, from you.

So he sat there, smile on his face, as he listened to you talk.

 

Papyrus had really outdone himself with dinner. Sans really enjoyed seeing his brother improve his cooking in each timeline. You and Derek really liked his spaghetti, and Papyrus beamed when you asked for seconds.

Over the meal, Sans learned that you worked as a personal trainer at a nearby gym and that Derek worked at a local pet store. The two of you had met at a bar and really hit it off.

Sans had kinda stopped listening after that bit, not caring to hear the story.

At one point, Derek had gotten up to help Papyrus with the dishes and you hadn’t even tried to be discreet when you reared back your hand to smack his ass. Sans had to excuse himself after that, his face flushed blue with embarrassment. 

When he made his way back into the living room to apologize for rushing off, he saw that the two of you were about to leave. His soul was heavy with disappointment. He’d just found you, and he couldn’t keep you.

You squealed as Papyrus wrapped you in a hug and lifted you off the ground for a moment, and then you laughed when he did the same with your boyfriend.

Sans held out a hand to you as you turned to face him.

“It was nice meeting you, Alex.” He said.

You gave his hand and amusing look before swatting it away and moving in to hug him. Sans stood frozen, unsure if he should even attempt to hug back. He ended up settling on an awkward pat on your back.

You chuckled as you pulled back, grinning from ear to ear. Sans fought back the blush that had no doubt risen to his cheekbones again as Derek stepped over to shake his hand.

“Nice meeting you dude. You and your brother are pretty cool.” He said.

Sans could tell that he genuinely meant it. He shook his hand and nodded, a million things he could say running through his mind.

He opted for silence.

You thanks Sans and Papyrus one more time before leaving the apartment. Sans jumped only a little when he felt the hard slap of his brother’s hand on his shoulder.

“WELL, SANS, IT LOOKS LIKE WE’VE MADE SOME NEW FRIENDS HERE TODAY!”

“Heh, sure did, bro.” Sans said.

“WE SHOULD INVITE THEM OVER AGAIN SOON, DON’T YOU THINK?” 

Sans nodded. He was more than fine with seeing you again. Hell, he could even convince himself that he would be ok with seeing Derek again. Just as long as you were happy.

You were safe.

You were loved.

You were truly happy.

And that’s all that really mattered.


	11. The First Timeline: Nothing We Say is Gonna Save Us From The Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans get into an argument.
> 
> [This takes place after The Promise]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There's some harsh words said near the end of this. If you just want a summary, go to the end notes!
> 
> This was so painful to write that I have to enlist the help of Telana to write the really harsh parts. And boy, did she deliver!!!
> 
> Enjoy! (or cry, same thing)  
> -Painge

You had become really good friends with Papyrus, Sans’ younger brother. You made sure to visit at least once a week to hang out with both skeleton brothers and to participate in one of Papyrus’ favorite pastimes: Cooking.

“DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD ADD MORE SALT?” Papyrus asked, grabbing the nearby salt shaker.

“Oh, no Pap, I think it’s good.” you chuckled, remembering the last time he went to add more salt and ended up dumping almost the entire shaker full into the pot.

Papyrus wasn’t a bad cook by any means, but sometimes he got a little… over-excited, and that was usually when things would begin to go south. Luckily you were there to help, and he seemed thankful for it.

“So…” Papyrus dropped into a quieter voice, “How is everything going between you and Sans?”

You couldn’t stop a very unattractive snort from escaping you, “Pap, now you know that isn’t any of your business!”

“Nyeh! Sans is my brother, so I believe it IS my business!”

You rolled your eyes, a smile still playing on your lips, “Everything is going well, Papyrus. How is everything with you and your pal, Mettaton?”

You couldn’t miss the orange blush that tinted Papyrus’ cheekbones, though he tried to turn away to hide it.

“We are doing well! He invited me to hang out backstage at his next concert!”

“That’s great Paps!” You nearly squealed, wrapping an arm around his midsection in a hug.

The two of you continued talking as you finished up the meal. It was nice having this time with the younger skeleton, he was endearing, and had become one of your closest friends pretty quickly.

When Papyrus left to set the table, you felt a pair of bony arms wrap around you from behind. You smiled and leaned back against your boyfriend.

“Hey, bone boy.” You said.

Sans chuckled and pressed a kiss to your neck, “Hey, sweetheart. Having fun?”

“Of course!” You said, turning around to face him, “I always have fun over here.”

“I’m glad.” He told you, “Pap really loves hanging out with you.”

You raised an eyebrow, “Oh, is Papyrus the only one?”

“Heh, I might enjoy having you around too.” He leaned his forehead against yours, “Just a little bit.”

You giggled, “Well I’m glad, even if it’s just a little bit.”

He moved in to kiss you, and your lips were just barely touching when his brother’s voice boomed from the dining area.

“WILL YOU TWO STOP BOONDOGGLING AND BRING THE FOOD IN HERE?!”

You and Sans laughed, but he ended up sneaking the kiss in as you both grabbed the pot of spaghetti to take to the table.

 

The three of you talked about everything from new recipes that Papyrus had found on Pinterest, to the latest negotiations between Asgore, Frisk, and government officials.

After a bowl of spaghetti and a slice of apple pie that you had made, the three of you decided on having a movie night.

While Papyrus went to pick out a movie for the three of you to watch, your phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, you thought you recognized the number so you went ahead and answered.

“Hello?” 

“Good evening, is this…”

They used your alias. It was a client. Your eyes met with Sans’ before you turned and walked a few feet away.

“This is she.” You said.

The man on the other end of the phone began to go into detail of exactly what he was calling for. You could feel the weight of your boyfriend’s gaze on your back, no doubt he was curious about this call. 

You’d been working on cutting out this part of your life with Sans’ help. You had already dropped most of your clients and were helping some of them move on to other escorts you knew of. Usually you’d immediately decline an offer… But this guy was offering you a ton of money.

Money that you could really use. Since you began dropping clients, you hadn’t really been able to afford much, and it was difficult to find a decent job with your sort of job experience. 

“What time?” You asked.

The man gave you a time and place and you hung up, pushing your phone back into the pocket of your jeans.

“Who was that, babe?” Sans asked.

You took a deep breath, wondering if it would be best to lie…

“It was a job offer!” You said, forcing a smile onto your face as you turned back to face him.

“Oh really.” He said, “They’re calling you this late?”

You began to sweat nervously, “Uh… Yeah.”

Sans leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, “Interesting. What’s the job for?”

You sputtered, unable to come up with a valid answer to his question.

“It’s, um, I-”

“Why are you lying to me?” He asked, his face expressionless.

You should have known better than to lie to Sans. He was good at picking up on lies.

You sighed, “It was… a client.”

Sans’ brow furrowed, “I don’t understand. I thought we were past this. You’re better than that.”

“Sans, this is a lot of money.” You told him.

He pushed himself up from the wall “So money is more important than your self-worth?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” You said, noticing the anger flash across his face, “Sans, you’ve been paying for my bills as of late and I can’t seem to find a job. I need this money.”

He was scowling, “For what? You’ve got everything you could ever need! I don’t mind paying for your bills until you get back on your feet.”

“You shouldn’t have to, though!”

Sans let out a sigh and raked one of his hands down his face, “I’d rather do that than have you out there selling yourself to random people!”

“It’s just this one guy. This one time. It really is a lot of money.” You said.

“Sure, you say ‘just this one time’ but next thing you know, you’ll be sleeping with fifty other people!”

You started getting angry, “You know, you sure didn’t seem to have a problem with it before!”

“Well that was before I knew you could be better than just some whore!”

It was like a punch to the gut, is that all he saw you as? Just another whore?

You let out a huff of air, “Well, sorry to disappoint you, but clearly that’s all I’m good for, huh? Being ‘just a whore!’”

“Shit, maybe you are since you’re clearly not even trying to stop!” He yelled.

Before you could open your mouth, you noticed Papyrus, a stack of movies in his arms. He glanced worriedly between you and Sans.

“ALEX, SANS, I DO NOT THINK YOU MEAN TO-”

“Don’t tell me what I do or don’t mean, Papyrus!” You lashed out furiously. “I may be ‘just a whore’ to your brother, but that doesn’t mean I have to sit here and take this bullshit!”

An eerie silence filled the room. Papyrus, too frightened to continue speaking, shuddered as Sans’s magic crackled in the air.

“Out.” He wouldn’t even look you in the eye, but you could see the lights in his sockets had gone out. “Get. Out.”

“Fine! Whatever! I have a job to do, anyway!” You grabbed your jacket and slipped on your shoes, storming out the front door with tears of frustration in your eyes. Fuck, that was not what you wanted at all! But how the hell were you supposed to sit there and deal with this?

It didn’t matter, you concluded. You  _ did _ have a job to do and maybe with the amount the client promised, you’d be able to pay all your bills yourself.

 

Meanwhile, back inside, Sans stood where you’d left him, silently seething with anger. How dare you bring Papyrus into this? This was between the two of you and had nothing to do with him at all!

“SANS… AREN’T YOU GOING TO GO MAKE SURE SHE GETS THERE SAFELY?”

Should he? He knew the answer that was right, the answer he would’ve come to any other time. But every time he thought about it, about seeing you again, all he felt was rage. No, he couldn’t see you again without shouting, screaming at you to stop, to realize how stupid this was.

“Nah, Paps, she’ll be fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of chapter:  
> You and Sans get into a fight at he and Pap's apartment over you wanting to take a client's offer up because of the money, despite trying to stop your prostitute ways. There's some name calling, really harsh words, and You yell at Papyrus, which sends Sans into a fury and he tells you to leave.


	12. The First Timeline: Never Forget... This is Your Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! THERE IS BLOOD AND DEATH IN THIS!  
> I will put a short summary in the end notes!
> 
> Also, this is the end of the First Timeline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blame Strudeloo for the pain at the very end!
> 
> Enjoy?  
> -Paige

 

  
I̛̗͇͙̝̭͔͔̻͕̒̀ͮͪͩ̀͟ ̡̨̲̯͈͚͙̂̌̎͛͐w̶̘̥̜̖͓̺̘̞̍͐ͯ̋̂ͭo̵̢͖̖͚͊̓͟n͆͗̏͑͏̵̧̬d̷̈ͥ̎́̔̍͏̪̯̬̼̻͙e̸̦̲̼̩͇̬̼͕̤̽̇r̢̂ͧ̌ͬ̐̌ͪ́҉̳̝͚.̶͍̝̠̐̂̿͌ͯ̏͋̽͛.̏̑ͦ҉̬̪̖͍͙̦͖͙ͅ.͇̎ͪͤ

  
  


W̦͓̻̱̆̆̿̓ͩ̿̃̇̕͝o͖̼̞̻̩̗̱̒͆̀̕u̧̢̱̳̬̗̲͎̎̅̔̚l̵̥͎͔͍̤̗̦̙͌̋̀̕d̡̼͇͍͍̩̭͔̩̓̅ͩ ̣̦͔͓͈̙̩ͩͬ͌̌͌̽ͫ̈͟͜i̸̼̺̰̺̳̝̖̟̔͗t̴̗̪͇̼͓͇̬͐͛ͥ̈̚͝ ̞̫͔̫̲ͦͯ̿ͦͮ̄͝͞ͅb̷̘̙̩͕̿̂̅ͮȩ̩̜̰̩͔̰͈̳͂͆̈ͅ ̵̡̫̟̯͓̝̊̃ͪͦ͐p̡̮̪̩̺͈͎͚͚̈́ͮ̍̐ͣ͟͟ǒ̴͓̩̩͎̞̱̬̗ͨ̊ͬ̌̎s̡̛͍̼͙͕̮̮̝͚̊̄̉ͨ͋ͨ̃̋́s͚̣̲̝̫̲̬͖̊͛͛ͯ̂̀͘͝i̳͕̟̳̝̩̰͑̒͒̚̚͜͞ͅb̲͎͇͔̫ͦ͊ͭͩ̈̀l̬̝̗̲̗̹ͩ̅̀͜͝ḙ̺ͩ̃̌͋̄ͨ̉͞͠.̝̩̪͎̬̰͖̞̰̂̀̇̒̽̋̂͜͜.̀ͪ̋ͤ͂͢͢͏̻͚̠̫̤̟͉̭.̹͚̄ͦͩͣ̆ͬ̎̀̚

  
  


.̰͙̭̦̯͎͕̄ͮ̄.̦̗͍͇̬̅ͫ̐̏͋͝.̽͞

 

  
I̬̼̩̝͋̔͌͢͠ ̷̜̦̑ͯẉ̵͇̬̺ͦ̾͑̽ͪ̔͢i̱̰̗̱͔͍̭̊̏͗͛̒̒ͦ́́l̸̫̞̫̠̇̓͊̾̊ͯ̆͂͟͠l̳̞̜̻̐̐ͯ͊ͯ̆̉ͅ ̮͈̲̓̔̑̑̕͡ș̺͐ͩ̓̅́̿͠͡ẹ̢͕̝͉ͣ̔ͧͪ͑̄͒̅̚͠n̂ͪ̐̊ͥ҉̸̶͍̬ḋ̴̶̟͓͎̣̭̻̻ͧ͑̄͋̉̈́̀ ̲̖̰̺̼͈̹̫̗̐t̥̬ͨ̆ĥ͉̖͍͚̰͔̅͠ͅe͑̏̉ͦ̔̈ͦ͐҉͙m̷͖̫̞͓͓̰̥̓͒̀̊̽ ͇̻͇̰͙̘̻̖̏́͋ͪ͘͞a̧̰͇̺̰̔͗̾̑̕ͅ ̼̳̫̙͗ͣ̂̋̓͒̈́̅ͧș͖͕̇ͬ̈͜͟ĭ̟͇̬̫̻̩̮̼͆ͯ̆̆g͑̚҉̬̖̲͕n̨̜̼̞̭̦̔ͮͦͭ͆̀

 

~~~

 

Sans sat in his room, he hadn’t slept all night, his mind kept running over the words he’d said to you. He didn’t mean any of them, his anger had gotten the better of him and he’d hurt you. The look on your face was burned into his mind and he was certain he’d caused you more pain than he would have if he’d physically struck you.

Of course, he would never do that… But he might as well have.

He had been so stubborn, too angry to message or call you to make sure you were ok. He hadn’t meant to let things escalate the way they did, but he couldn’t stand that you didn’t seem to care about your body.

He let out a groan and laid his head in his hands. There would be a lot of apologizing for him to do, but he didn’t know if you’d forgive him. He wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.

Grabbing his phone, he checked the time. It was early, but there was a chance you might already be up. He flipped through his contacts and found your number, but just as he was about to hit the call button, his phone began to ring.

His little brother’s name flashed on the screen and he stared at it in confusion for a moment. Papyrus should be at work, he wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.

Pressing the answer key, he held the phone up to his skull.

“Pap?”

“Sans.” Papyrus’ voice was shaky over the phone, “You need to get to Alex’s apartment, now.”

Sans sat straight up in bed, “Pap, what’s wrong?”

“Sh-she’s not waking up…”

Sans swung his legs over the bed and got to his feet, “Ok, bro, hold on. I’m gonna take a shortcut there.”

Without waiting for an answer, he hung up the phone and immediately teleported into your apartment.

 

The first thing Sans noticed was blood, a lot of it. It was smeared down one of the counters leading to the kitchen, leading into the entryway where it pooled on the ground. Papyrus was kneeling on the ground, your limp body in his arms.

There were a few seconds of disbelief, where Sans considered that he might be stuck in a nightmare. His eyes fell on Papyrus, his clothing soaked with your blood, his eyes filled with panic as he looked to his older brother for guidance.

Guidance that Sans wasn’t sure he could give.

This wasn’t a nightmare. It was so much worse.

“Sans.”

Papyrus’ voice pulled Sans from his state of paralysis and he stepped closer, kneeling down in front of your body.

There was a large, deep gash across your throat. Sans could tell right away that it had severed your carotid artery.

You were gone.

“Brother…” Papyrus’ voice was weak, “What do we do?”

Sans reached to brush some hair out of your face, a chill ran down his spine from the coolness of your skin, and the unfocused stare from your eyes.

He forced down the lump in his non-existent throat and pulled his cellphone from the pocket of his shorts.

“Pap. I’m calling the police. We’re going to have to tell them how you found her, ok?” Sans said, dialing 9-1-1.

Papyrus nodded as Sans made the call, giving their situation and location to the operator. 

 

“Her door was unlocked.” Papyrus whispered after Sans hung up the phone, “I was worried when she didn’t answer after I knocked. I just wanted to make sure she was ok after…”

His words trailed off and he looked away from his brother. Sans looked back down at you.

He did this. If he hadn’t let you leave… If he’d at least followed you… If he’d just apologized, or hadn’t said anything in the first place, you might’ve still been alive.

Sans found himself reaching over, pulling your body into his arms.

“Sans.”

“Pap, go wait by the door for the police to get here, please.” Sans said, his voice emotionless.

Papyrus didn’t say a word as he stood and walked to the door, his shoes leaving partial prints as he went.

Sans stared down at you, as he moved you in his arms, your head tilted, seeming to look right at him.

_ You did this. _

“I’m sorry.” His voice barely came out at all. 

He wanted to run, to hide away from all this. It’d be like everything else in his life. Ignore it, and it’d eventually go away. At some point, he wouldn’t feel the pain anymore.

This wasn’t that simple, though. He could try and push this scene out of his mind, but he’d never forget the blood splattered across your body, the pungent smell of copper in the room. 

Try as he might, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he let someone that he loved so much die… It was the underground genocide all over again. 

 

The police came and took statements. They had given Sans a few minutes, but had to coax him into letting you go. He stood back from the scene, listening to his brother talk with one of the officers. He heard someone mention ‘suicide.’

But you wouldn’t do that. You were stronger than that, more stubborn.

Sans tried to force back his fear, but he took a step forward when they began to drape a sheet over you.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to stand back.” Someone spoke.

“What are they doing to her?” Sans asked, his eyes still glued to the scene in front of him.

“They’re going to take her to the hospital.” The person said, “Try to figure out what exactly happened here.”

Sans panicked. They were going to take you. He’d never see you again. 

“No.” He whispered.

“Sir, you need to-”

Sans pushed the workers out of the way and scooped your body up into his arms once more. He didn’t even notice the people trying to stop him, he didn’t care, he needed you with him.

 

Sans arrived outside of his house in Snowdin, your body only getting colder as you lay limp in his arms. He trudged through the snow to his workshop and unlocked the door with his magic. He entered into the room and laid you down on the floor, tears finally beginning to well up in his eye sockets. 

He grabbed his most recent journal and opened it to a new page, his hand smearing blood onto the paper. Taking a pen he began to write.

 

_ Alex is dead, murdered, made to look like a suicide. _

_ This is your fault. Never forget the words you said to her, never forget the pain you caused her.  _

_ Never make this mistake again. _

 

Sans set the journal down and rushed back to your side. Tears streamed down his face as he cupped your cheek with his hand.

You were so cold. Your soul was gone.

“I’m so sorry, Alex. If I had just… If only…”

He let out a ragged breath.

“I’ll make this right.”

He leaned over and placed a kiss on your forehead.

“I’ll be back. I promise.”

 

It didn’t take long for Sans to find Frisk, and he was glad they were the only one at home. Showing up at Toriel’s covered in blood probably wasn’t the best course of action, but that didn’t matter to Sans.

“Frisk.”

Frisk looked up from whatever they were working on, their eyes widened at the sight before them. They began to sign Sans’ name sloppily.

“Kid, I need you to do something for me.” Sans said, holding out his hand to the child, “Please.”

Frisk hesitated only slightly before taking his hand. 

They arrived back in Sans’ workshop. Frisk gasped when they saw your body lying on the floor. They looked up at Sans and signed your name.

“Frisk, this is my fault.” He told them.

Frisk furrowed their brow.

**You wouldn’t kill Alex.**

Sans stepped over to where you were laying.

“I didn’t physically kill her, no. But I wasn’t with her when I should have been.”

Frisk walked over and looked down at your lifeless body. Sans let out a choked sob and fell to his knees next to you.

“I can’t… I don’t want to be without her, Frisk.” He cried.

Frisk laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked to them, the lights of his eyes completely out.

He was broken.

“Kid, I wouldn’t ask this of you if it wasn’t important.”

Frisk pursed their lips, tears welling up in their own eyes. They knew what he was asking.

“ _ Please _ .”

Frisk looked down at you one more time before nodding.

Sans whispered a quiet thank you before taking your cold hand in his.

 

He sat down beside you and pulled your limp form into his lap, his fingers gently combing through your hair as he felt the world around him begin to grind to a halt as the reset took effect. With a sigh, he allowed his shoulders to slump, silently hoping for another chance to make this right, to do right by you. 

With the last instants of this timeline, he heard a small childish giggle and glanced up towards Frisk as they grinned down at him, “Oh don’t worry Sans, you don’t have to thank me for this. I’d play this game again with you anytime.” As the child’s last word slipped off into the black oblivion that had surrounded the two of them, he couldn’t decide if the red he was seeing was from your blood or the glint in Chara’s eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus finds you dead in your apartment. It was made to look like a suicide. Sans takes your body and teleports underground to his workshop where he makes a note in his journal. He then begs Frisk to reset, and they agree...  
> But it comes at a price.


	13. The Second Timeline: The Torture of Small Talk With Someone You Used to Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [This takes place after 'What Really Matters']
> 
> You visit Sans at his hot dog stand after having a fight with Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAVE SOME SADS
> 
> -Paigey

A few months had passed since you had come back into Sans’ life. You were certainly a lot different than he remembered from the previous surface timeline. In fact, you reminded him a lot of Undyne, so it didn’t surprise him when the two of you became fast friends after Papyrus introduced you to her.

What DID surprise Sans was your boyfriend, Derek. The boy seemed nice enough, genuinely so. Sans looked for any reason to be suspicious of him, but could find none. In fact, Sans really didn’t mind hanging out with him. Once Derek got over his nervousness, it turned out he not only had a very gentle personality, but he also had a great sense of humor. Sans wished he could hate him, but he just couldn’t. How could he hate someone who laughed at his stupid jokes and made you smile so much?

“Hey, bone boy!”

Sans’ eyes popped open, he’d just been resting his eye sockets at the Nice Cream stand he managed at the park, but now you were there, grinning ear to ear as you placed your hands on the counter in front of you.

“Paps is right about you being so lazy!” You laughed.

Sans leaned back in his chair and smiled, “Yep, that’s me.Mr. Lazybones, always bone-tired, a bonafi-”

You let out a snort, “Oh my god, Sans, enough with the puns! I just want a nice cream!”

Sans chuckled and reached into the cooler behind him, grabbing out a nice cream. He handed it to you and waved away the cash you held out to him.

“It’s on the house.” He said.

You opened your mouth to argue but you ended up shutting it and shaking your head.

Sans watched as you peeled off the wrapper and read the message inside. You smiled at it and shoved it into your pocket before shoving the popsicle into your mouth.

“Derek have to work today?” Sans asked, looking around and realizing that you were alone.

Your face fell slightly and you took the nice cream from your mouth.

“No. He’s at his house.”

Sans took note of the sad expression that crossed your face. Something was clearly bothering you.

“Hey,” He grabbed a fold out chair and placed it next to his, patting the seat of it as he sat in his own, “Come here, kid.”

You hesitated for a moment before walking around and into the small stand. There was just enough room to sit two people without being overly cramped. You curled your legs up into the chair and took a bite out of your nice cream.

“Something’s up.” Sans spoke, “Wanna talk about it?”

Your eyes focused on the floor, “I… I don’t know.”

Sans propped his feet up on the counter, “You don’t gotta talk if you don’t want to.”

A strained silence fell over the two of you. Sans acted like he was watching for customers, but he was more concerned with you. He hadn’t seen this side of you in this timeline, your personality was always so bubbly and you were always smiling and cracking jokes… Of course, Sans knew better than anyone that sometimes, the people who seem to be the happiest are the saddest ones of all.

It wasn’t long before you finished off the frozen treat and put your trash in the small bin nearby. You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand and sat back in your chair, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Me and Derek, we… well, we sorta got in a fight.” You finally spoke, “It was over something really stupid and I said some pretty hurtful things before I walked out.”

Sans frowned, looking at the pained expression in your eyes… He knew what that was like. One of the things that carried over from the last timeline where he’d been on the surface was the last time he’d spoken to you. There was a huge argument and he’d said things to you that he never meant. He could remember every word, it haunted his dreams, he could never go back and tell you he was sorry.

“Sans?”

Your voice pulled him from his thoughts and he was surprised to see you looking concerned. 

“Sorry, just remembered something.” He put his feet back on the floor and turned toward you, “I’m not the best person to give relationship advice, but you should probably talk to Derek.”

You pursed your lips, “I know, but I’m still kinda mad with him.”

“That’s understandable. I don’t know the situation, and you don’t need to elaborate if you don’t feel comfortable.” He said, “Though, it’d probably be best to talk with him, even if neither of you do any apologizing.”

You sighed, “I just… I don’t know.”

Sans wouldn’t dare tell you of the timelines, you didn’t need to share his burden, but he wouldn’t let you share his fate either if there was a possibility that the same thing might happen to you.

“I know it’s tough, but with someone you care about, you gotta talk things out. You gotta work through your issues… You shouldn’t let them leave angry because you can never be sure that you’ll ever see them again after you’ve calmed down…”

You tilted your head a bit, “Sans, it sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

“I am.” Sans said, now determined to have you see his point, “Look, I don’t mean to butt into your relationship or anything, I’m just saying that things could change in an instant, you don’t wanna leave things in a place of uncertainty.”

He almost jumped a little in surprise when he felt your hand on his shoulder.

“Sans, what happened?” You asked, “Who did you lose?”

He met your gaze, “I lost someone who meant the world to me… Don’t make the same mistake I did.”

You searched his eyes for a moment, “I’m so sorry, Sans. I didn’t know.”

For a second, Sans thought he caught a glimpse of the old you in your eyes. He longed to pull you into his arms and hold you for a while, to tell you that everything would be ok even though he didn’t know that for certain. 

Before he could react, you reached out and wrapped your arms around him, hugging him close. He froze, unsure if he should hug you back. Would that be overstepping his boundaries? Would you feel weird about it?

He realized that in that moment, he didn’t care. He slid his arms around your body and held you tight. He could feel your heartbeat against his chest and he wanted so badly to kiss you, to run his fingers through your hair, to tell you everything about the past timeline in hopes that you might accept him as yours once again. But he couldn’t. He had to see this act of kindness for what it was. 

Friendship.

“Thank you.” You said, “You’re such a good friend, Sans.”

He squeezed you a little tighter before you pulled back. He reluctantly let you go and tried not to look too sad when your eyes fell back on his face.

“I… I think I’m gonna go talk to Derek.” You said, standing from your chair.

“I’m sure everything will be fine.” Sans told you, propping his feet back up on the counter.

A smile crossed your lips, “Thanks. I’ll text you later.”

“No problem, kiddo. See ya.”

You walked back out of the stand and around to the front. You looked at him and started to open your mouth as though you were going to say something, but you never did. Closing your mouth back, you gave him a thoughtful smile before playfully slapping at his foot and waving your goodbye.

He watched as you walked off to the parking lot, his thoughts turning into a jumbled mess. There was no denying that Sans was a little bitter about you being with Derek, but he saw how he made you happy, and he wouldn’t dare try to take that away from you.

He was certain this was karmic retribution from the universe. He’d have to spend the rest of his days on the surface watching someone else love you the way he should be loving you. He brought it upon himself. He said those horrible things to you that led to you walking out, which in turn led to your death.

He never deserved you at all.


	14. Current Timeline: The Housewarming Party - Sans' POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [This is a rewrite of Chapter 3 of Spitfire in Sans' POV]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if these don't update every day, or every other day. They've been a little difficult to write, especially now since I'm starting a new fic and I'm so excited about it and just want to work on it most of the time XD
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paige

Papyrus had been gushing about his new human friend, Alex, who’d helped him out with some not-so-nice humans the day before. Sans’ spirits had lifted a bit after hearing about her.

A short, human girl with dark auburn hair beating up assholes who were bullying someone? It had to be you.

They’d been on the surface for a year now. This time, Frisk had made sure to do everything right underground, which meant it took a little longer than the 3 previous timelines where they’d been freed. It was slightly more difficult for the skeleton brothers once they reached the surface this time. Sans had gone to try and rent the same apartment as he had before, only to find the complex full. He eventually had to settle on a run-down apartment complex in what was essentially a monster ghetto. Papyrus kept himself in high-spirits though, which always helped Sans find the strength to work through all the crap they had to deal with.

The last two times they’d been freed, he’d gone to look for you. This timeline though, he hadn’t. Sans couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about all the shit that had happened to you before. Those things had happened because he had come into your life. A small part of him hoped you’d skipped town, that he wouldn’t have a chance to fuck up your life again, but the rest of him longed to see you and talk to you once more.

Undyne and Alphys’ housewarming party was tonight and Papyrus mentioned something about his human friend possibly being there. It made Sans excited and nervous all at once.

“COME ON, SANS! WE DON’T WANT TO BE LATE!” Papyrus said, grabbing the dish he was taking to the party.

Sans lazily pushed himself off the old couch and stretched, “Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

 

\--

 

Papyrus rolled his eyes at Sans as the older brother flopped back onto the couch at the party. Sans just shot him a smile and chuckled to himself as the tall skeleton shook his head and left the room. 

As people began to arrive, Sans greeted them from his spot on the sofa. Asgore arrived not too long after they did, and Toriel had sent Undyne a text letting them know that she and Frisk were on the way.

Papyrus came back into the room after a few minutes and sat down to talk with Asgore. Sans listened to the conversation, interjecting a few times until he heard the doorbell ring again. Undyne was greeting whoever was at the door and soon he could hear Alphys’ meek voice as she introduced herself. Sans was completely fine until Undyne pulled the guest into the main room.

It was you.

Your hair was a little longer than shoulder length and straight, you were wearing a light blue blouse paired with skinny jeans and some boots. You smiled when your eyes fell on Papyrus, and his brother wasted no time in jumping up to greet you.

Sans did his best to keep calm, though his soul felt like it was flipping inside of him. On the outside he just sunk further into the couch, looking like his normal, lazy self.

"SANS! THIS IS THE NICE HUMAN I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT, THE ONE FROM YESTERDAY!" Papyrus spoke, dragging you further into the room.

Sans caught your eye and fumbled in his jacket pocket for his super not-so-secret pranking device.

“Hey there, I’m Sans.”

Papyrus grumbled and scolded him, “SANS! STOP BEING A LAZY BONES FOR TWO SECONDS AND SHAKE THE HUMAN’S HAND!”

Sans sighed and sat up, pulling his hand from his pocket and holding it out to you.

You reached out to shake it, “I’m Alex. It’s nice to meet-”

You squeezed the whoopie cushion in his hand and the room fell silent. For a split second, he was afraid you weren’t going to laugh, but when you did it was like music to his ears. He couldn’t help but laugh along with you.

“SANS, THIS IS SO IMMATURE! HOW COULD YOU?!” 

Sans winked at you, “Whoopie cushions. They make everything funnier, amiright?”

You giggled, “They’re so great, they just  _ blow _ the other competitors away.”

Sans couldn’t keep the smile off his face, “Heheh, a girl after my own heart… if I had one.”

Everyone in the room groaned except you and him, who continued to laugh.

Sans watched as Papyrus pulled you away in hopes that you would stop making terrible puns.

This was exactly the you he’d be wishing upon the stars for.

 

Sans listened to all the different conversations over dinner, but was mostly interested in what you had to say. Keeping to himself, he stared at his plate nearly the whole time. Thoughts roamed his mind, questions that he wouldn’t ask you right then. He wondered if you were with someone else, if you had been through situations similar to the previous timeline versions of you, and if you would let him be a part of your life the way he wanted to.

He glanced over and caught your eye a few times. Each time, you’d throw him a little smile that made his soul flutter.

 

After dinner, everyone gathered in the sitting room for a board game. Frisk tried to get Sans to play, but he wasn’t really feeling up to it. He sat back on the couch once again and watched as everyone took their places around the coffee table.

You walked into the room after helping clean up, and instead of joining everyone in the game, you sat down next to Sans on the sofa.

“Hey dude,” You said, “You’re not playing?”

Sans looked at you, “Nah, every time I start one of these I just end up  _ board  _ halfway through.”

You laughed, “You’re pretty  _ punny _ aren’t ya?”

“I’m  _ patellin’ _ ya, kid. I got a skele _ ton _ of jokes up my sleeve.” He chuckled.

Sans saw Frisk sign to you and ask if you were playing, but you told them that you’d jump in on the next round. 

The two of you watched the game for a bit when Sans remembered your conversation with Pap and Undyne over dinner. They’d talked about training you, which Sans found pretty interesting if he was being honest.

“So, you actually looking forward to training with Undyne and Paps?” He asked you.

"I am!" You told him "I don't know what to expect, but they did say they would be careful."   
"They will be… to an extent." He cracked an even wider smile "You've never trained with monsters before, have you?"   
"Well, no..." You said "You gonna tell me about it?"   
He gave a low laugh. "Nope. It's gonna be fun to watch without you knowing anything."

He wasn’t lying, he imagined that it would be fun to see you jump right into a fight with his brother. He knew you’d be safe training with them.

You shot him a glare and he just shrugged before putting his attention back on the game.

It wasn’t too long before you nudged his arm.

“Knock knock.”

He raised a brow bone, “Who’s there?”

“Police.”

“Police who?”

"Police tell me more about monster training." You gave him the best puppy-dog eyes you could muster.

Sans was caught off guard, he wasn’t expecting you to joke around so much, and he certainly wasn’t expecting you to give him that look.

He let out a laugh, “Good one, kid… Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?” You asked.

“Ant.”

“Ant who?”

Sans leaned in close, a smirk on his face.

“I  _ ant _ tellin’ you shit.” He whispered.

Sans reveled in the shocked look on your face as he leaned back and grinned. You covered your mouth with your hand and tried to stifle your laughter.

Frisk came over and asked you if you wanted to join the next game. You started to get up and join them, but turned back to see if Sans wanted to go with you.

He declined, and waved you off, all with that stupid smile still plastered on his face.

 

\--

 

It began to get late and people began to leave. Sans watched as you made your rounds, hugging everyone as you were getting ready to go home. Once you’d finished hugging the others, you turned to him.

Would it be weird to hug you? Sans thought it might, so he stuck his hand out instead.

“Nice meetin’ ya, kid.”

You stared at his hand for a moment, brows furrowed, before you shook your head and pushed it out of the way. 

With a mischievous grin, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms around him. He froze up as you squeezed him tight.

“It was nice to meet you too, Sans!”

Everyone laughed at your sickeningly sweet, playful tone.

He knew he was blushing hard as you pulled back, you were doing your best to embarrass him, and it was working.

Sans narrowed his eyes and smirked as he whispered so only you could hear, “So that’s how you wanna play?”

You had a curious look in your eye, though you didn’t really know the implications of his words, he was sure.

He was thrilled that you were a bit of a prankster… He was going to enjoy this timeline.

Sans cleared his throat and smiled wide, “You’ll have to come over sometime and have a movie night with me and Paps.”

"OO, THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA, SANS! MAYBE YOU AREN'T SUCH A NUMBSKULL AFTER ALL!" Papyrus said, laying a hand on his older brother's shoulder.   
"Thanks bro. I guess I'm pretty Sansational." Sans winked.   
Papyrus sighed and took his hand away.   
"I'VE CHANGED MY MIND!"    
You giggled and started toward the door.   
"I'll see you guys later!"

Sans kept his eye on you as everyone waved their goodbyes. As you stepped outside and went to close the door, your eyes met his one more time and you smiled.

Those feelings of love that he felt throughout the other timelines came flooding back and with them, a glimmer of hope.

**Author's Note:**

> I made a playlist for Spitfire! (more songs will probably be added in the future)  
> [Spitfire Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/1249626311/playlist/6BpLLSU7RvBY3ucgvLHBPO)


End file.
